Modular electronic header assembly and methods of manufacture

ABSTRACT

A device for electrically interconnecting and packaging electronic components. In one embodiment, a modular non-conducting base member having one or more component recesses and a plurality of lead channels formed therein is provided. At least one electronic component is disposed within the recess, and the wire leads of the component routed through the lead channels to a conductive lead terminal. A plurality of lead terminals, adapted to cooperate with the non-conducting base member, are received therein, and adapted to place the device in signal communication with an external printed circuit board. The modular non-conducting base members are assembled or stacked to form a unitary modular assembly. Methods for fabricating the device are also disclosed.

PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of co-owned and co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/399,002 filed Apr. 5, 2006 of the sametitle. This application is also related to U.S. Pat. No. 7,942,700 filedMay 10, 2010 of the same title, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/399,002 filed Apr. 5, 2006, each of theforegoing being incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to electrical and electronicelements used in printed circuit board or other applications, andparticularly to an improved package and method of packagingmicrominiature electronic components.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED TECHNOLOGY

For many years, electronic devices such as circuit boards have beenfabricated by interconnecting a plurality of electronic components, bothactive and passive, on a planar printed circuit board. Typically, thisprinted circuit board has comprised an epoxy/fiberglass laminatesubstrate clad with a sheet of copper, which as been etched to delineatethe conductive paths. Holes were drilled or formed through terminalportions of the conductive paths for receiving electronic componentleads which were subsequently soldered thereto.

So-called surface mount technology has evolved to permit more efficientautomatic mass production of circuit boards with higher componentdensities. With this approach, certain packaged components areautomatically placed at pre-selected locations on top of a printedcircuit board so that their leads are registered with, and lie on topof, corresponding solder paths. The printed circuit board is thenprocessed by exposure to infrared or vapor phase soldering techniques toreflow the solder and thereby establish a permanent electricalconnection between the leads and their corresponding conductive paths onthe printed circuit board.

Dual in-line chip carrier packages have existed for many years. The mostcommon example is an integrated circuit, which is bonded to a ceramiccarrier and electrically connected to a lead frame providing oppositerows of parallel electrical leads. The integrated circuit and ceramiccarrier are normally encased in a black, rectangular plastic housingfrom which the leads extend. Typically, these dual in-line packages(DIPs) are mounted horizontally, i.e. with the leads extending co-planarwith the printed circuit board. Such dual in-line packages haveheretofore been attached to printed circuit boards by surface mountingtechniques.

Other various techniques have been utilized in the prior art in order toprovide more space and cost efficient packaging (and stacking) formicrominiature electronic components such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 5,015,981 to Lint, et al. issued May 14, 1991 and entitled“Electronic microminiature packaging and method”, which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety, discloses an electronic devicehaving a plurality of leads comprises a three dimensional electronicelement holder of a non-conducting material having at least one cavitytherein and a plurality of lead slots extending from the cavity to abase of the holder, an electronic element mounted in the cavity andhaving a plurality of leads extending therefrom, a plurality of theleads extending within the slots from the element to the base, and aplurality of lead terminals mounted on the holder and each having oneend extending into one of the slots into conducting engagement with alead and a free end extending outward therefrom.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,345 to Gutierrez issued May 18, 1993 entitled “Selfleaded surface mounted coplanar header”, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety, discloses a self leaded header for surfacemounting of a circuit element to a PC board comprises a generallybox-like support body having a cavity for mounting a circuit element,the support body having a base and a plurality of feet extendingdownward from the base for supporting the same on a PC board, aplurality of lead support members having a generally spool configurationextending generally horizontally outward from the support body adjacentthe base, an inductance coil mounted in the cavity, and a lead extendingfrom the coil to and wound multiple turns around each of the leadsupport members and disposed for surface bonding to a PC board.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,145 to Lint issued Oct. 12, 1993 and entitled“Compliant cantilever surface mount lead”, which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety, discloses a compliant lead structure formounting a circuit element to a PC board comprising a support body forsupporting a circuit element, a plurality of elongated compliantcylindrical conductive lead members secured at an inner end to thesupport body and extending outward from the support body substantiallyperpendicular to a mounting plane of a PC board to which the supportbody is to be mounted and to a position for surface bonding to a PCboard, the lead members having an elongated unrestricted section betweenthe inner end and the outer end for enabling relative movement betweenthe support body and a PC board to which the lead member is bonded, anda lead wire extends from a circuit element on the support body andconnected to the lead member.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,130 to Lint issued May 3, 1994 entitled “Self leadedsurface mount coil lead form”, which is incorporated herein by referencein its entirety, discloses a self leaded holder for surface mounting ofa circuit element to a PC board comprising a generally box-like supportbody having a cavity for mounting a circuit element, the support bodyhaving a base and a plurality of lead support members having a generallyspool configuration extending generally horizontally outward from thesupport body adjacent the base, lead ports extending from the cavitythrough the sides, an inductance coil mounted in the cavity, and a leadextending from the coil via the lead ports to and wound a partial turnaround each of the lead support members and disposed for surface bondingto a PC board.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,741 to Wai, et al. issued Oct. 3, 1995 entitled“Wire-lead through hole interconnect device”, which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety, discloses an electronic devicecomprising a three dimensional electronic element holder of anon-conducting material having at least one cavity in a first surfaceand a plurality of lead through holes with inlet guides extending fromthe cavity to a second surface having a circuit thereon, an electronicelement mounted in the cavity and having a plurality of leads, aplurality of the leads extending via the through holes from the elementto the second surface, and a plurality of lead terminal recesses formedat the second surface for receiving and forming terminal ends andconnections of the leads to the circuit on the second surface.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,463 to Lint, et al. issued Dec. 21, 1999 entitled“Through-hole interconnect device with isolated wire-leads and componentbarriers”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety,discloses a device for electrically interconnecting the wire leads ofvarious electronic elements within a microminiature package. Anon-conducting base member having a plurality of electronic elementbarriers and wire lead through-holes is provided. The through-holes aregenerally located within the interior regions of the base element tominimize potentially detrimental field interactions or capacitivecoupling between the leads and the external package terminals. Duringpackage assembly, the electronic elements are placed within recessescreated within the base member by the aforementioned barriers. Theserecesses and barriers align the elements and help maintain electricalseparation and uniformity during manufacturing. The wire leads from twoor more elements are interconnected by twisting them together andinserting them into one of the through-holes. The leads are insertedinto the through-holes such that they protrude below the bottom surfaceof the base element, thereby facilitating soldering of all suchconnections in a single process step. This arrangement reducesmanufacturing and labor costs and increases component and overallpackage reliability.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,560 to Machado issued May 1, 2001 and entitled“Advanced electronic microminiature package and method”, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses an advancedmicroelectronic component package incorporating a specially shaped baseelement which holds and electrically separates the individual conductorsassociated with the microelectronic component(s) so that the individualconductors may be bonded to external package leads and other conductorswithin the package. In a first embodiment, jacketed, insulated wire isused as one winding of a toroidal transformer, while unjacketedinsulated wire is used as another winding. The jacketing is strippedfrom the first winding and the exposed conductors are routed intochannels along the sides of the base element. The unjacketed conductorsare also routed into the same channels, where both conductors are bondedto the external package leads. Raised elements along the sides of thebase provide the required electrical separation between the conductorsduring both manufacture and operation. A method of manufacturing theimproved microelectronic package is also disclosed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,983 to Gutierrez issued May 28, 2002 entitled“Electronic packaging device and method”, which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety, discloses a device for electricallyinterconnecting and packaging electronic components. A non-conductingbase member having a component recess and a plurality of speciallyshaped lead channels formed therein is provided. At least one electroniccomponent is disposed within the recess, and the wire leads of thecomponent routed through the lead channels. A plurality of leadterminals, adapted to cooperate with the specially shaped lead channels,are received within the lead channels, thereby forming an electricalconnection between the lead terminals and the wire leads of theelectronic component(s). The special shaping of the lead channels andlead terminals restricts the movement of the lead terminals within thelead channels in multiple directions during package fabrication, therebyallowing for the manufacture of larger, more reliable devices. Inanother aspect of the invention, the device includes a series ofspecially shaped through-holes are provided within the base member toallow the routing of wire leads there through. The bottom surface of thebase member is chamfered to facilitate “wicking” of molten solder up thewire leads during soldering, thereby allowing for a stronger and morereliable joint. A method of fabricating the device is also disclosed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,564 to Ko issued Apr. 1, 2003 and entitled“Connector assembly” discloses a connector assembly mounted on a printedcircuit board for mating with the network cable includes a housingconfigured to two mating ports to receive their complementary connector.A conditioning unit is installed into the housing and disposed betweenthese mating ports, and includes a circuit board having conditioningcomponents and two terminal modules surface mounted thereon. A pair offlexible latching portions is formed on two side edges of the rear sideof the housing respectively. And a stopping portion is formed underneathevery latching portion and extending a predetermined distance longerthan the length of the latching portion. A notch is formed at one edgeof the circuit board to be engaged with the latch to fix theconditioning unit in position. The latching portion is easily detachedfrom the notch of the circuit board by a tool to simply any rework orrepair process while the stopping portion will restrict and protect theflexible latching portion from being overstressed or over-bending.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,593,840 to Morrison, et al. issued Jul. 15, 2003entitled “Electronic packaging device with insertable leads and methodof manufacturing”, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety, discloses a device for electrically interconnecting andpackaging electronic components. A non-conducting base member having acomponent recess and a set of specially shaped lead channels formedtherein is provided. At least one electronic component is disposedwithin the recess, and the conductors of the component are routedthrough the lead channels. A set of insertable lead terminals, adaptedto cooperate with the specially shaped lead channels, are received andcaptured within the lead channels, thereby forming an electricalconnection between the lead terminals and the conductors of theelectronic component(s). A method of fabricating the device is alsodisclosed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,660,561 to Forthun, et al. issued Dec. 9, 2003 andentitled “Method of assembling a stackable integrated circuit chip”discloses a stackable integrated circuit chip package comprising acarrier and a flex circuit. The flex circuit itself comprises a flexiblesubstrate having opposed top and bottom surfaces, and a conductivepattern which is disposed on the substrate. The chip package furthercomprises an integrated circuit chip which is electrically connected tothe conductive pattern. The substrate is wrapped about and attached toat least a portion of the carrier such that the conductive patterndefines first and second portions which are each electricallyconnectable to another stackable integrated circuit chip package. Thecarrier is sized and configured to be releasably attachable to thecarrier of at least one other identically configured stackableintegrated circuit chip package in a manner wherein the chip packages,when attached to each other, are maintained in registry along first andsecond axes which are generally co-planar and extend in generallyperpendicular relation to each other.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 20030030143 to Wennemuth, et al. andpublished Feb. 13, 2003 entitled “Electronic component with stackedelectronic elements and method for fabricating an electronic component”discloses an electronic component which includes stacked electronicelements with external contacts. The external contacts are connected tocontact terminal pads of an interconnect layer disposed on an isolatingbody. This isolating body extends over underlying side edges of afurther electronic element, and its interconnect layer is connected toanother interconnect layer of the stack via its external contactsurfaces.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 20030231477 to Vierow, et al. published Dec.18, 2003 and entitled “Discrete component array” discloses integratedpassive component assemblies utilize array shell or array framereceiving structures to isolate and protect discrete passive componentsand provide a modular configuration for mounting to a substrate.Receiving structure embodiments include a base portion, spacer ribs, andoptional side walls. Spacer ribs may be connected or provided inopposing spacer rib portions to effectively isolate adjacent componentterminations. Standoff features may be incorporated into selectembodiments of the disclosed technology to aid in device mounting and tofacilitate post-affixment cleaning and visual termination contact.Discrete passive components in accordance with the present subjectmatter may include select combinations of resistors, capacitors,inductors, and other suitable devices.

Despite the foregoing solutions, there exists substantial room forimprovement in the area of electronic packaging design. For example, intelecommunications signal conditioning circuits, basic circuit elementssuch as choke coils, inductors, capacitors, etc. are often repeated inorder to handle a multiplicity of incoming data channels. Prior arttechniques are unable to efficiently handle manufacturing mistakes ordeficiencies in one or more of these channels, and often the entirecomponent must be “scrapped” even though much of the circuit (e.g.,multiple channels) functioned as designed. No ability to change theelectrical configuration of a component is readily provided under theprior art either.

In addition, “real estate” of the circuit board or other parent device(including sometimes the volume consumed as well as the two-dimensionalfootprint) is often at a premium in systems where these microminiaturedevices would be utilized.

It is therefore desirable that an improved package and method ofpackaging of microminiature electronic components be available that cansubstantially increase electronic component density, improve modularityto decrease rework and scrap costs, and thereby provide an overallcheaper solution for the end customers purchasing and utilizing thesedevices.

Such improved solution would also ideally allow the designer to specifyvarying configurations of planar (footprint) and vertical profile basedon their needs for a particular application, while still maintaining theaforementioned benefits of modularity (particularly on a “per-channel”basis).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention satisfies the aforementioned needs by providing, interalia, an improved modular electronic component package that increaseselectronic component density, and decreases rework and scrap costs,thereby reducing the cost of the overall solution.

In a first aspect of the invention, a modular filter apparatus isdisclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises: a plurality ofsubstantially separable modular header assemblies capable ofinterconnecting with one another, each of the modular header assembliescomprising: a non-conductive base member having a cavity formed therein;a plurality of signal conducting elements disposed at least partiallywithin the non-conductive base member; and at least one electroniccomponent at least partially disposed within the cavity. A cover atleast partially enclosing the plurality of modular header assemblies isoptionally used as well.

In a second embodiment, the modular electronic apparatus comprises: aplurality of substantially unitary modular header assemblies, each ofthe assemblies comprising: a non-conductive base member having aplurality of cavities formed therein; a plurality of signal conductingelements disposed at least partially within the non-conductive basemember; a plurality of recesses forming channels between the cavitiesand each of the plurality of signal conducting elements; and at leastone electronic component at least partially disposed within each of thecavities; and a cover at least partially enclosing the plurality ofmodular header assemblies. The plurality of modular header assemblies incombination with the cover form a substantially unitary structure.

In a third embodiment, the apparatus comprises: a plurality ofsubstantially unitary modular header assemblies, each of the assembliescomprising: a non-conductive base member having a plurality of cavitiesformed therein; a plurality of signal conducting elements disposed atleast partially within the non-conductive base member; a plurality ofrecesses forming channels between the cavities and each of the pluralityof signal conducting elements; and at least one electronic component atleast partially disposed within each of the cavities; and a cover atleast partially enclosing the plurality of modular header assemblies.The plurality of modular header assemblies in combination with the coverform a substantially unitary structure.

In a fourth embodiment, the apparatus comprises: a upper modular headerassembly, comprising: a base member having a first cavity formedtherein; a plurality of signal conducting elements each comprising asurface mounting end and a wire terminating end; and an interlockingfeature resident at least proximate to the cavity; and a lower modularheader assembly, comprising: a base member having an interlockingfeature formed therein and adapted to fit at least partly within thecavity of the upper modular header assembly; a plurality of signalconducting elements having a surface mounting end and a wire terminationend; and a second cavity adapted to receive a plurality of electroniccomponents at least partly therein; and a plurality of electroniccomponents, the plurality of electronics placed at least partly in thefirst cavity and in the second cavity.

In a fifth, the apparatus comprises: a plurality of substantiallyseparable modular header assemblies capable of interconnecting with oneanother, each of the modular header assemblies comprising: anon-conductive base member having at least first and secondsubstantially co-extensive yet substantially separate cavities formedtherein; a plurality of signal conducting elements disposed at leastpartially within the non-conductive base member; and a plurality ofelectronic components at least partially disposed within each of thefirst and second cavities and each in electrical communication with atleast one of the signal conducting elements. The header assemblies matewith one another in juxtaposed fashion so that the first cavity of afirst one of the plurality of assemblies directly faces the secondcavity of a second one of the plurality of assemblies.

In a second aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing a stackedmodular header assembly is disclosed. In one embodiment, the methodcomprises: forming a plurality of sub-assemblies by at least: forming aplurality of modular header elements; disposing a plurality ofconductive members into each of the plurality of modular headerelements; disposing at least one electronic component into each of theplurality of modular header elements; placing the at least oneelectronic component into signal communication with at least a portionof the plurality of conductive members; and stacking a plurality of thesub-assemblies into a substantially unitary modular header assembly. Inanother embodiment, the method further comprises testing each of theplurality of sub-assemblies prior to the act of stacking to determineconformity with a predetermined specification, and selectivelydiscarding at least one of the sub-assemblies for failing the testing.

In a third aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing anelectronic package is disclosed. In one embodiment, the methodcomprises: providing a plurality of substantially unitary modularelectronic assemblies adapted to fit together in a substantially stackeddisposition; testing at least one of the assemblies; and selectivelyincluding or excluding the at least one assembly from the package basedat least in part on the testing. In one variant, the act of selectivelyexcluding comprises: repairing or reworking at least a portion of the atleast one assembly; and subsequently including the repaired or reworkedat least one assembly in the package, or another similar package.

In a fourth aspect of the invention, a method of doing business isdisclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises providingsubstantially modular electronic devices comprising a plurality ofelectrical channels, the devices being repairable or replaceable on asubstantially per-channel basis.

In a fifth aspect of the invention, a modular support element for use inan electronics assembly is disclosed. In one embodiment, the elementcomprises a substantially non-conductive base element having a pluralityof recesses formed therein, the recesses being adapted to receive atleast a portion of respective electronic components. The element isfurther adapted to separably mate with another substantially identicalelement in front-to-back disposition, each of the elements beingassociated with a different electrical channel of circuitry within whichthe assembly is used. In one variant, the electronic components comprisesubstantially toroidal devices, the recesses being shaped to closelyconform with at least a portion of an outer periphery of thesubstantially toroidal devices, the devices being disposed in asubstantially upright orientation within the element so that the devicesare also in a front-to-back disposition with respect to other suchdevices of the another element when both elements are mated.

In a sixth aspect of the invention, a method of attaching andinterconnecting a substrate (e.g., PCB) and a device (e.g., modularassembly) is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises using asingle-step stencil print process to solder the pins of the assembly tothe PCB, and to form a “bump” grid-array interconnect structure on thePCB. The bump grid-array interconnect method offers improved reliabilityover other prior art techniques (e.g., LGA or Land Grid Array) byincreasing the component-to-PCB standoff (or standoff between theassembly and any intermediary component or substrate). It also offersimproved manufacturability over an LGA or other such technique, as thebumps are essentially “pre-tinned” and easy to solder.

In a seventh aspect of the invention, a modular electronic apparatus formounting onto an external substrate is disclosed. In one embodiment, themodular electronic apparatus includes a multi-layer printed circuitboard having a first layer comprised of surface mountable conductiveinterfaces and a second layer comprised of a plurality of ball-gridarray conductive interfaces. The apparatus further includessubstantially identical modular headers comprised of a non-conductivebase member having an electronic component receiving cavity formedtherein, surface-mountable signal conducting elements disposed at leastpartially within the non-conductive base member on a bottom surfacethereof and a cover at least partially enclosing the modular headers. Aninterior surface of the cover is configured to mate with one or morerespective top surfaces of the modular headers. Electronic componentsare also disclosed that are at least partially disposed within theelectronic component receiving cavities of the modular headers. At leastone of the electronic components comprises a wire having two ends thatare wire wrapped around respective ones of at least a portion of thesurface-mountable signal conducting elements. At least a portion of thesurface-mountable signal conducting elements is soldered to the firstlayer of the multi-layer printed circuit board.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features, objectives, and advantages of the invention will becomemore apparent from the detailed description set forth below when takenin conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 a is a bottom perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment ofthe modular assembly of the invention.

FIG. 1 b is a bottom perspective view of a second exemplary embodimentof the modular assembly of the invention.

FIG. 1 c is a perspective view of one embodiment of a modular leadlessheader element utilized in the assemblies of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b.

FIG. 1 d is a perspective view showing the modular header element ofFIG. 1 c, used in the context of the assembly of FIG. 1 b and populatedwith electronic components.

FIG. 1 e is a bottom perspective view showing the header assembly ofFIG. 1 d.

FIG. 1 f is a perspective view showing a modular header assemblyutilized in the device embodiment of FIG. 1 a.

FIG. 1 g is a front elevational view showing the modular header assemblyof FIG. 1 f.

FIG. 1 h is a bottom perspective view of the outer case utilized in thedevice embodiments of FIGS. 1 a and 1 b.

FIG. 1 i is a perspective view showing a plurality of modular headerassemblies of the type shown in FIGS. 1 f and 1 g assembled as amulti-header modular assembly.

FIG. 1 j is a bottom perspective view showing the multi-header modularassembly of FIG. 1 i being inserted into the outer case of FIG. 1 h.

FIG. 1 k is a bottom perspective sectional view showing the interlockingof the multi-header modular assembly and outer case.

FIG. 1 l is a side elevational, partial sectioned view showing theheader modular assembly and outer case of FIG. 1 a with a printedcircuit board installed.

FIG. 2 is a logical flow diagram illustrating one exemplary method ofmanufacturing the modular header assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a verticallystacked header assembly according to the principles of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 a is a bottom perspective view of the first embodiment of avertical stacked header assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 b is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a lower headerelement as shown in FIGS. 3 and 3 a.

FIG. 3 c is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an upper headerelement with the lower vertical header installed as shown in FIGS. 3 and3 a.

FIG. 3 d is a detail view of a second embodiment of the upper (or lower)vertical header of FIG. 3 with a printed circuit board installed.

FIG. 4 is a logical flow diagram illustrating one exemplary embodimentof the method of manufacturing the stacked vertical header assembly ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a third embodiment of a verticalstacked header assembly according to the principles of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 a is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a verticalstacked header assembly shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 b is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a lower headeras shown in FIGS. 5 and 5 a.

FIG. 5 c is a perspective view of a third embodiment of an upper headeras shown in FIGS. 5 and 5 a.

FIG. 5 d is a detailed view of a fourth embodiment of either the upper(and/or lower) header of FIG. 5 with a printed circuit board installed.

FIG. 5 e is a perspective view of another embodiment of the verticallystacked device, showing a printed circuit board installed at the bottomof the lower header.

FIG. 5 f is a partially exploded perspective view of the fifthembodiment of FIG. 5 e showing the lower header and printed circuitboard.

FIG. 5 g is a bottom perspective view of the fifth embodiment of thedevice of FIG. 5 e, showing the bottom side of the printed circuitboard.

FIG. 5 h is a side view showing the device of FIG. 5 e.

FIG. 6 is a schematic showing exemplary circuitry that may beimplemented in the devices shown in FIGS. 3 d and 5 d.

FIG. 7 is a logical flow diagram illustrating one exemplary method ofmanufacturing the stacked vertical header assembly of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 a is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a mixed modularheader assembly according to the invention.

FIG. 8 b is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a mixed modularheader assembly according to invention.

FIG. 8 c is a perspective view of an exemplary modular header element(with component(s)) utilized in the embodiments of FIGS. 8 a and 8 b.

FIG. 8 d is a perspective view of an exemplary 4-port (channel) mixedmodular header assembly.

FIG. 8 e is a perspective view of an 8-port mixed modular headerassembly.

FIG. 8 f is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cover utilizedwith the mixed modular header assembly shown in FIG. 8 d.

FIG. 9 is a logical flow diagram illustrating one exemplary embodimentof the method of manufacturing the mixed modular header assembly of FIG.8 a.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of amodular header assembly according to the invention.

FIG. 10 a is a perspective view of an individual header element utilizedin the header assembly of FIG. 10.

FIG. 10 b is a perspective view of a first exemplary printed circuitboard utilized in conjunction with the header element of FIG. 10 a andthe header assembly of FIG. 10.

FIG. 10 c is a perspective view of a first exemplary cover utilized withthe header assembly of FIG. 10.

FIG. 10 d is a perspective view of the assembled header assembly of FIG.10 with the cover removed.

FIG. 11 is a logical flow diagram illustrating one exemplary embodimentof the method of manufacturing the header assembly of FIGS. 10-10 d.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer tolike parts throughout.

As used herein, the term “signal conditioning” or “conditioning” shallbe understood to include, but not be limited to, signal voltagetransformation, filtering and noise mitigation or elimination, currentlimiting, sampling, signal processing, and time delay.

As used herein, the terms “electrical component” and “electroniccomponent” are used interchangeably and refer to components adapted toprovide some electrical or electronic function, including withoutlimitation inductive reactors (“choke coils”), transformers, filters,gapped core toroids, inductors, capacitors, resistors, operationalamplifiers, and diodes, whether discrete components or integratedcircuits, whether alone or in combination, as well as more sophisticatedintegrated circuits such as SoC devices, ASICs, FPGAs, DSPs, RCFs, etc.For example, the improved toroidal device disclosed in Assignee'sco-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,642,827 entitled “Advanced ElectronicMicrominiature Coil and Method of Manufacturing” filed Sep. 13, 2000,which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, may be usedin conjunction with the invention disclosed herein.

As used herein, the terms “circuit board” and “printed circuit board”are used generally to refer to any substrate or other structure that hasone or more electrical pathways associated therewith. Such boards maycomprise, without limitation, single-layer boards, multi-layer boards,flexible (flex) boards, or even paper or other substrates having one ormore circuit traces disposed thereon or therein.

As used herein, the term “network” refers generally to any type oftelecommunications or data network including, without limitation, datanetworks (including MANs, WANs, LANs, WLANs, PANs, internets, andintranets), wireless and Radio Area (RAN) networks, hybrid fiber coax(HFC) networks, satellite networks, and telco networks (including ADSLor the like). Such networks or portions thereof may utilize any one ormore different topologies (e.g., ring, bus, star, loop, etc.),transmission media (e.g., twisted pair (TP), wired/RF cable, RFwireless, millimeter wave, optical, etc.) and/or communications ornetworking protocols (e.g., Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, 10-Gig-E, SONET,DOCSIS, ATM, X.25, Frame Relay, etc.).

As used herein, the terms “microprocessor” and “digital processor” aremeant generally to include all types of digital processing devicesincluding, without limitation, digital signal processors (DSPs), reducedinstruction set computers (RISC), general-purpose (CISC) processors,microprocessors, gate arrays (e.g., FPGAs), PLDs, reconfigurable computefabrics (RCFs), array processors, and application-specific integratedcircuits (ASICs). Such digital processors may be contained on a singleunitary IC die, or distributed across multiple components.

As used herein, the term “integrated circuit (IC)” refers to any type ofdevice having any level of integration (including without limitationULSI, VLSI, and LSI) and irrespective of process or base materials(including, without limitation Si, SiGe, CMOS and GAs). ICs may include,for example, memory devices (e.g., DRAM, SRAM, DDRAM, EEPROM/Flash,ROM), digital processors, SoC devices, FPGAs, ASICs, ADCs, DACs,transceivers, memory controllers, and other devices, as well as anycombinations thereof.

As used herein, the term “memory” includes any type of integratedcircuit or other storage device adapted for storing digital dataincluding, without limitation, ROM, PROM, EEPROM, DRAM, SDRAM, DDR/2SDRAM, EDO/FPMS, RLDRAM, SRAM, “flash” memory (e.g., NAND/NOR), andPSRAM.

Overview—

In one salient aspect, the present invention provides an improved andhighly modular electronic device suitable for any number of applicationsincluding, e.g., surface-mount telecommunications signal conditioningapplications. Basic circuit elements such as choke coils, inductors,capacitors, etc., that are often repeated in order to handle amultiplicity of incoming data channels are, in the exemplary embodimentof the invention, disposed in substantially modular and separablesupport elements. This modular “per-channel” approach allows forefficient and effective handling manufacturing mistakes or deficienciesin one or more of these channels, thereby obviating the scrapping of theentire component even though much of the circuitry (e.g., multiplechannels) function as designed. The use of multiple substantiallyidentical sub-assemblies for each channel also enhances manufacturingefficiency (through mass production of multiple identical assemblies).

In addition, the “real estate” of the circuit board or other parentdevice (including the overall volume consumed as well as thetwo-dimensional footprint) is optimized in the present invention, since:(i) the toroids or other electronic components are space-efficientlystacked in a horizontal and/or vertical disposition to provide maximaldensity while maintaining a high degree of electrical performance; and(ii) the use of horizontal and/or vertical stacking allows forcustomizing the device so as to fit a footprint and/or vertical profilerestriction.

The various embodiments of the invention provide a number of otherdesirable features and advantages as well. In one aspect, the modulardesign of the invention enables substantially simplified production of1-channel to n-channel devices using the same sub-assemblies.

Additionally, the electronic component (e.g., toroidal coil) arrangementwithin the device, combined with the mechanical design, enables a verycompact footprint while also providing a very short terminal (e.g., pin)length and short component lead length, thereby also providing excellentelectrical noise (e.g., EMI) performance.

Furthermore, fine-pitch pins or terminals can also be redistributed intoa larger-pitch (e.g., “bump” array) if desired, thereby, inter aliasimplifying manufacturing and any subsequent bonding processes.

Passive or active circuit components can also be readily added to theassembly using this modular approach; such as where these passive oractive components are disposed in a modular header that is simply matedto one end of the existing assembly (as opposed to the prior art where awhole new device would need to be designed and fabricated, or the addedcomponents added external to the header).

The header assembly of the invention also advantageously allows for theconversion of a through-hole mounted device to a surface-mount device,and also provides for a highly co-planar interconnect to a motherboardor other external device to which the modular assembly is mounted. TheCTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) of the assembly may also bematched to that of the motherboard/external device, thereby yielding ahigh-reliability assembly.

Easy manufacturing is also facilitated, such as through use of apanelized PCB assembly process).

Modular Header Assembly and Methods—

Referring now to FIG. 1 a, a first embodiment of the modular headerassembly device 100 according to the principles of the present inventionis shown. The device 100 comprises an outer case 140, a plurality (e.g.eight (8)) of modular header support assemblies 120 each of whichutilize twelve (12) straight conductive pins 122. The device 100 of FIG.1 a therefore has a total of ninety-six (96) signal conducting straightpins 122. The pins 122 can either be utilized for through-holeapplications, i.e. wherein the pins are received through correspondingapertures or recesses of a printed circuit board or similar device, oralternatively could be specifically adapted for surface mountingapplications (as shown in embodiments discussed subsequently herein). Inone variant of the latter mentioned surface mounting applications, thepins 122 may be placed into soldering fixtures which deposit a smallsemi-spherical ball or “bump” of solder at the tip of each pin 122. Thedevice 100 then may be mounted to an end customer printed circuit boardin a ball-grid array (“BGA”) fashion. The latter BGA-like configurationis exemplary as it reduces lead lengths of the pins 122 and resultantinductances of the leads, thereby promoting less signal distortion athigh frequencies than similar through-hole mounted configurations.

Referring now to FIG. 1 b, a second embodiment of the microminiaturepackaging device 100, generally similar to the device as shown in FIG. 1a is disclosed. The device 100 shown in FIG. 1 b utilizes a spool headat the end of each pin 124, thereby providing more surface area andincreasing the bond strength of the terminal array connection.

As is best illustrated in FIG. 1 c, an exemplary embodiment of a modularheader support elements 102 utilized in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 a and1 b is shown. Each element 102 generally comprises a polymer materialsuch as a high-temperature thermoset or thermoplastic polymer. Theelement 102 is advantageously manufactured by an injection-moldingprocess, although other processes such as e.g., transfer molding ormachining can be used if desired. The benefits of injection-molding arewell understood in the polymer processing arts, and as such will not bediscussed further herein. In one exemplary configuration, the element102 is manufactured from a liquid crystal polymer (“LCP”), such as thatmanufactured by RTP® Corporation. LCP is exemplary as it has a high heatdeflection temperature when reinforced with glass fiber, and showsexcellent dimensional stability at high temperatures (which is desirableif the component is to be used in standard manufacturing processes suchas IR or vapor-phase reflow, wave soldering, and the like). In anotherexemplary embodiment, the element 102 comprises a high temperaturephenolic, such as that manufactured by the Sumitomo Co. which exhibitssimilar high temperature properties to LCP while generally being of alower cost than LCPs.

The modular header element 102 generally comprises a plurality ofcavities 104, for receiving electronic components such as wire woundtoroidal components. While these cavities 104 are shown placingelectronic components, such as wound toroids, in a generally verticalorientation, it is appreciated that these cavities could alternativelybe placed in a horizontal, or any other position for that matter,depending on the design constraints of the final design and theparticular dimensions and features of the electronic componentsthemselves. However, the illustrated vertical orientation is exemplaryin many telecommunications applications, as this configuration minimizes“X-Y” real estate on the customer's main printed circuit board (andsimilarly the pitch of the pins) when utilizing standard 0.140″ diametertoroidal coils. A plurality of wire routing cavities 108 a arespecifically adapted to route wire or leadframe to leads (leads notshown) or from cavity to cavity 108 b. The length of these cavities 108a, 108 b can also be adjusted to meet creepage and clearancerequirements for supplementary insulation requirements if desired.

Exemplary posts 106 a, 106 b are used on the elements 102 so that aplurality of the support elements may be stacked in horizontalsuccession. These posts 106 engage respective holes or recesses placedon the back side of a second adjacent modular header element 102. As isbest shown in FIG. 1 e, cavities 107 a, 107 b are adapted to mate withrespective posts 106 a, 106 b when the modular header assemblies 120 are“stacked” horizontally. These posts may engage with their respectiveholes 107 via a sliding or frictional fit or alternatively may containretention features that allow the modular header elements 102 to engageand lock with one another, such as a ridge- and groove “snap” fit, useof tabs, or any number of other well known techniques for selectivelyengaging and disengaging two components. While generally shown as a postformed in, inter alia, the non-conductive element 102, these posts couldalternatively be formed as a separate structure and could even be madeelectrically conductive if desired. Further, although a post shape isshown, other shapes and configurations could be used if desired, such ascantilever snaps, the main purpose being to interconnect two or moremodular header assemblies 120.

The snap guide channels 112 a of each header element 102 are positionedto engage with a respective snap feature 112 b on the case 140, such asthe case shown in FIG. 1 h discussed subsequently herein. Chamfers andfillets of the type known in the art are also optionally utilizedthroughout the design (e.g. on cavities 108 a, posts 106 a, etc.) tominimize the possibility of cutting or chafing the mounted components(e.g. wires on a wire wound toroid) when assembling the signalconditioning component.

An exemplary embodiment of a modular header element utilizing spool headleads 124 is shown in FIG. 1 d. This embodiment is utilized in thedevice 100 shown in FIG. 1 b, although it can obviously be adapted forany number of other configurations such as for example that of FIG. 1 a.The exemplary modular header element 102 is designed to accommodate four(4) toroidal coils 110, although it is appreciated that any desirednumber may be utilized (such as e.g. 6 or 8). The depth (horizontaldimension) of one or more of the elements 102 can also be varied, suchas to accommodate two rows of toroids or other components.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1 d, a four-coil design is chosen because thecircuit utilized requires the use of four coils 110 per transmit/receivechannel. As modular header support elements 120 are “stacked”horizontally, the number of channels desired can then be chosen for anygiven application. For example, a modular header element 102 can bestacked with seven (7) additional modular header housings 102 in orderto form an eight (8) channel device such as that shown in FIG. 1 b.

Modularizing the device package in this way has many manufacturing andother advantages over prior art approaches. By representing each modularheader assembly 120 as a single channel within an electrical design,each individual assembly can be independently tested, and each modularchannel that does not meet electrical specification can be replaced,reworked, or scrapped. Because manufacturing defects can be isolated toa single channel, an entire device (e.g. an eight channel device) doesnot need to be scrapped merely because there was a manufacturing defectin one of the channels. This greatly improves overall manufacturingefficiency and lowers device 100 manufacturing costs.

In the modular header embodiment shown in FIG. 1 d, wires are routedfrom cavity to cavity in order to form a signal pathway between thecoils 110 and respective ones of the spool head signal pins 124. Aftereach wire has been routed and wrapped to (or otherwise communicatedwith) its respective terminal pin 124, the entire assembly 120 is suitedfor termination according to any number of techniques such as, e.g., amass-termination technique such as wave soldering. Furthermore, themethods and apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,932 to Nguyen issued Oct.26, 1999 entitled “Soldered component bonding in a printed circuitassembly”, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, can beutilized consistent with the invention to provide enhanced solderperformance such as where, e.g., multiple boards or solder processes areused.

Also, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 d and 1 e, twelve (12) signalconducting pins 124 are used. It will be appreciated that more or fewerpins may be utilized depending on the desired design constraints. Inaddition, while the terminal pins 124 may be either insert molded (i.e.,in the plastic mold during the injection molding process) orpost-inserted (i.e. after the modular header element 102 has beenmanufactured), it is generally considered a more cost effective processto post-insert the pins 124 after the element 102 has been formed.However, in certain applications and/or with certain manufacturingequipment it may be desired to insert mold these pins directly into theheader base, or bond them using yet another technique. Hence, thepresent invention contemplates literally any suitable approach formaintaining the pins in a substantially fixed position with respect tothe support element(s) 102.

The signal conducting terminals 124, while shown utilizing a generallyround cross-sectional shape, may be utilized in any number ofcross-sectional shapes (including without limitation square,rectangular, triangular, polygonal, e.g., hexagonal, oval or elliptical,and so forth) depending on the particular needs of the application. Theround cross-section is readily manufactured from standard gauge copperor copper alloy round wire (e.g., 26AWG, etc.). Other cross sectionalshapes are prevalent as well, such as square or rectangularcross-sections, which have can advantages over round pins because ofthere sharp edges which can be utilized by an operator to terminate wirethat is being wrapped on to the respective pin.

In yet other alternative embodiments utilizing the aforementionedpost-insertion process (i.e. the pins 124 are inserted into the modularheader element 102 after the element 102 has been manufactured), othercross sectional shapes such as hexagonal cross sections have advantagesin terms of pin retention strength and pin insertion yield (i.e. byreducing the amount of modular header support elements 102 that arecracked during the pin insertion process). The large number ofvariations and tradeoffs for the selection of signal conducting pins 124are well understood in the art, and as such will not be discussedfurther herein. For example, FIG. 1 f shows a configuration that isutilized in the device 100 of FIG. 1 a, and is generally well-suited foreither through-hole or surface mounted configurations.

It is also noted that in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 c-1 g, eachchannel 108 a corresponds to a respective pin 122, 124 such that thenumber of pins and the number of channels is equal. However, it is alsoenvisioned that other embodiments may change this ratio of channels 108a to pins 122, 124 so as to be greater or less than parity. Also, whileeach of these pins 122, 124 is utilized in the illustratedconfigurations as a signal conducting path (or alternatively ground sothat materials and labor are minimized), it is appreciated that one ormore of these pins 124 may have no electrical or conductive functionwithin the device without adversely affecting the electrical performanceof the device. For example, these unused terminals might compriseinstalled spares, areas for future expansion, mechanical stabilizers,etc.

FIG. 1 h shows a first embodiment of the outer case 140 that can beutilized with an eight (8) channel modular header base assembly 160,such as that shown in FIGS. 1 a and 1 i. The outer case 140 comprises agenerally rectangular shape with only the bottom surface open. Theoverall length of the outer case will vary depending on the size ornumber of the modular header elements 102 needed for the particularapplication; however, it will be appreciated that a case matching thedesired number of header elements 102 is not a requirement; i.e., thehousing 140 can be loaded with a number of header elements fewer thanthat required to completely fill the housing, with the remaining spacewithin the housing case 140 either left vacant, filled by a spacer orother mechanical stabilization component(s), or even used to house oneor more electronic components or devices of a heterogeneous nature (suchas an integrated circuit and associated discrete components). Forexample, a Bluetooth or WiFi wireless chipset, 802.3af PoE controller orpower supply or receiver unit, micro-controller, storage device ormemory, or a microprocessor, DSP, or RISC core could be disposed on asubstrate mounted within the unused portion of the case 140, therebyproducing a “hybrid” device capable of both its signal conditioningfunctions as well as one or more ancillary functions (which may or maynot be related to the signal conditioning functions). See, e.g.,co-owned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/387,226entitled “Power-Enabled Connector Assembly And Method Of Manufacturing”filed Mar. 22, 2006, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety,which describes one such exemplary PoE device useful with the presentinvention.

The embodiment of FIG. 1 h comprises an injection moldable polymer thatis chosen based on its intended application. For example, if the outercase 140 is to be utilized in a high temperature application such as asurface mounting reflow process, a high temperature polymer such as hightemperature PPS may be desirable. The selection of polymer materials iswell understood in the arts and as such will not be discussed furtherherein.

The outer case 140 also comprises an orientation channel 142 a that isadapted to receive the guide posts 106 of the end support elements 102when the modular header base assembly 160 is received within the case.Engagement ribs 112 b are adapted to engage snap guide channels 112 a asbest seen in the cross sectional view shown in FIG. 1 k. Alternatively,the snap guide channels could be positioned within the outer case whilethe engagement rib features were placed on the modular header elements102; however the exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 h, 1 i and 1 koffer a highly space efficient solution due to design considerationssuch as molding wall thicknesses on the outer case 140.

The outer case 140 can also be fully or partially covered with a metalnoise shield (not shown) or alternatively plated or otherwise processedto improve the EMI shielding of the device 100. For example, oneexemplary process that is well understood in the art is that ofutilizing a conductive filler material within the plastic itself toprovide EMI shielding protection. Alternatively, one could plate desiredsurfaces (i.e., through vacuum metallization or the like) to providemeans to reduce the effects of EMI on the device or other devicesoperating in close proximity to the device 100.

The mating face of the device 100 (i.e., that from which the pins 122,124 protrude) can also be shielded if desired, such as for examplethrough use of the multi-layered metalized/non-conducting substrateshields described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,540 to Gutierrez, et al. issuedJul. 1, 2003 entitled “Shielded microelectronic connector assembly andmethod of manufacturing”, incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

Internal shields (such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,540)can also be utilized, such as between the individual header assemblies120, and/or between vertically stacked rows of components (as describedsubsequently herein).

FIG. 1 i shows an exemplary embodiment of a modular header base assembly160 utilizing eight (8) modular header assemblies 120 of the type shownin FIGS. 1 f-1 g. As previously discussed, one salient advantage of thepresent invention is that essentially any number of modular headerhousings 120 may be stacked horizontally and utilized to accommodatevarious design constraints. In addition, while the embodiment of FIG. 1i shows modular header assemblies 120 that are essentially identical(i.e. in size, shape, pin number, etc.), it is also contemplated thatone or more of these assemblies 120 may be heterogeneous inconfiguration and/or function from other header elements in order toaccommodate any desired footprint, electrical circuit design, electricalor signal processing/conditioning functions, etc.

Furthermore, while it is primarily considered advantageous to engage themodular header assembly 160 with a respective outer case 140 as is bestshown in FIG. 1 j, this outer case may not be necessary in all cases.For example, one alternate embodiment of the invention uses a pluralityof header elements 102 mated together (such as frictionally, viaadhesive, etc.) without any external case or housing 140. In anothervariant, plastic is molded directly around the header assembly 160 toencapsulate the internal components, or encapsulated using silicone or asimilar encapsulant or potting compound.

FIG. 1 l shows another exemplary embodiment of the modular headerassembly 160 of the invention being mounted inside an outer case 140. Aprinted circuit board 180 is mounted onto the bottom side of the deviceand at least partially disposed within the outer case 140. In oneexemplary embodiment, the printed circuit board 180 comprises amulti-layer printed circuit board made of a fibrous material such asFR-4, although it will be appreciated that different materials andconstructions (e.g., single layer boards, flex “sheet” boards, etc.) maybe used if desired. Plated through-holes are positioned throughout theprinted circuit board to line up with the terminals 122 of the modularheader assembly 160. Printed copper traces provide signal paths betweenterminals 122. In addition, various electronic components such asresistors, capacitors, diodes, etc. can be utilized within the signalpaths created by these copper traces (whether as part of the boardstructure or as discrete components on either side of the board orelsewhere) to filter or condition the signals transmitted through thedevice.

While the embodiment of FIG. 1 l utilizes a configuration wherein theprinted circuit board 180 mounts over each set of pins on all eightmodular header housings, it is contemplated that the printed circuitboard 180 may alternatively be placed over individual ones of themodular header assemblies 120, or alternatively over any subset ofmodular header housings present within the device 100. In addition, theprinted circuit board 180 need not interface directly with pins 122;rather wires, leadframe, etc. could be routed between the electroniccomponents resident within the modular header cavities to the printedcircuit board 180.

Within or on the printed circuit board 180 itself, an additional layerof conductive material, such as copper, may be utilized in order toprovide a means for shielding against undesirable electromagneticradiation or interference into (i.e., from external sources) or off of(i.e., from within) the device 100. The various terminals 122 can thenbe soldered by hand or via a mass termination process in order to formdesired electrical connections between any of the terminals 122 and theprinted circuit board 180.

Referring now to FIG. 2, one exemplary embodiment of the method 200 ofmanufacturing the aforementioned modular device 100 is described indetail. It is noted that while the following description of the method200 of FIG. 2 is cast in terms of the eight-channel modular headerassembly of FIGS. 1 a-1 l, the methodology is equally applicable toother configurations.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the method 200 generallycomprises first preparing the electronic components; e.g., winding themagnetically permeable toroidal coils (step 202). These toroidal coilsmay be wound manually or alternatively could be wound using an automatedprocess such as that disclosed in co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,310entitled “Method for winding ring-shaped articles”, the contents ofwhich being incorporated by reference in its entirety. The coils maythen be optionally stripped and/or “pre-tinned” to provide exposedconductive ends to the wound coils. Other types of electronic componentsmay also or alternatively be used as previously described.

Either serially or in parallel, the modular header element(s) 102 ofFIG. 1 c is/are formed using an injection molding apparatus in step 204.The modular header element 102 could either have the terminal pins 122insert molded during step 204 or alternatively be post-inserted aftermolding in step 206.

In step 205, the wound coils or other components are subjected tooptional electrical and/or physical testing. The coils may be tested foropen circuit inductance (“OCL”), DC-resistance (“DCR”), turns-ratiotesting and the like. The purpose of such a test is to verify that thecoils have been manufactured properly and meet design constraints priorto being mounted within a modular header housing, thereby preventingcostly waste and/or rework. For example, if a coil does need to bere-worked, it often can require as little as the winding of anadditional turn, which is much simpler to perform prior to the woundtoroid being mounted on a modular header element 102. Physicalinspection could be utilized to inspect for such defects as chippedtoroids and nicked wires that could cause field failures later down thesupply line. It will be appreciated, however, that in certain cases itis desirable to perform testing or inspection after assembly (i.e.,either on a per-assembly 120 basis, or per-device 100 basis); see thediscussion of step 211 below. For example, damage done to componentsduring the assembly process would not be detected during pre-assemblytesting/inspection. If the device 100 is mounted to a PCB or otherexternal component, it may even be optimal in certain cases to test orinspect the device 100 as part of the parent assembly testing/inspectionregimen.

In step 208, the wound coils or other components are mounted on themodular header elements 102. The coils or components can optionally besecured in the modular header element utilizing an adhesive or otherbonding agent; e.g., epoxy adhesive such as a single or dual stageepoxy. Alternatively, the coils will be secured simply by routing thewires into the channels 108 a and wrapping the wires around theterminals 122. Each element 102 and its components 110 can also bepartly encapsulated in, e.g., silicone or the like as another option.

In step 210, the wire-wrapped terminals are dipped into a eutecticsolder bath and the wires are mass-terminated to the terminals. Becausethe modular header element 102 of the exemplary embodiment is made froma high temperature polymer, the dimensional integrity of the assemblyremains stable even if it partially submerged in the solder bath for afew seconds. While solder bath mass termination methods are exemplary,other methods such as e.g. hand soldering or resistance welding may alsobe utilized if desired.

In step 211, each modular support header assembly, such as that assemblyshown in FIGS. 1 d and 1 f, can optionally be electrically tested orinspected to ensure there are no defects in workmanship (i.e., coldsolder joints, coil shorts due to solder splash, etc.) as previouslydescribed.

In step 212, the modular header assemblies 120 are next “stacked” usingposts 106 a, 106 b that are placed into respective holes 107 a, 107 b.In one exemplary embodiment, eight (8) modular header housing assembliesare horizontally stacked in succession to form an eight-channel signalconditioning device 160 such as that of FIG. 1 i. As previouslydescribed, more or less modular header housing assemblies could be usedas well. Friction between the posts and respective holes hold themodular header elements 102 together, although adhesives, heat staking,or other techniques could be used as well.

In step 214, the eight-channel modular header assembly 160 is insertedinto an outer case 140, as best shown in FIG. 1 j. Posts 106 a, 106 borient the device into the case by sliding or otherwise being receivedinto cover channel 142 a. The top surface of the modular header assembly160 is constrained by an internal surface 144 of the outer case 140,while snaps 112 b engage respective channels 112 a on the assembly 160,thereby constraining the assembly 160 in all six degrees of freedom withrespect to the outer case 140.

In step 216, an optional printed circuit board 180 is mounted onto thebottom of the modular header assembly 160 such as in the configurationshown in FIG. 1 l. The advantages of using a printed circuit board 180are well understood in the art. For example, a printed circuit boardprovides a means for providing signal interconnects between pluralitiesof pin terminals 122, 124. In addition any number of discrete componentssuch as resistors, capacitors and inductors can be mounted on theprinted circuit board and subsequently in the signal path of the mountedtoroids 110 on the modular header assembly 160. The board 180 can alsobe used to provide EMI shielding as previously described.

In step 218, the final assembled part is sent to optional test prior tobeing shipped to an end customer (or mounted to another device). A testfixture of the type well understood in the electronic arts is utilizedto determine various performance aspects of the finished device such as,without limitation, return loss (“RL”), insertion loss (“IL”), OCL, DCR,etc.

Referring now to FIG. 3, another embodiment of the header device of theinvention is described. In this embodiment, the device 300 is stacked ina vertical dimension as opposed to the “horizontal” staking of thedevice 100 previously described (here, the terms “vertical” and“horizontal” being merely relative to the PCB or other device to whichthe assembly 300 is mated, and not restrictive or absolute in anysense). The exemplary device 300 comprises a lower header 306, upperheader 304 and a cover 302. The device 300 further comprises four (4)rows of surface mountable leads 308 a, 308 b, each protruding from thebottom service of the upper and lower headers respectively, althoughthrough-hole pins or other types of terminations are contemplated aswell. As the device embodied in FIG. 3 utilizes surface mountable leads,the upper header, lower header and case (cover) all comprise a hightemperature polymer adapted for use in high temperature environmentssuch as might be experienced during an IR reflow process.

FIG. 3 a shows a bottom perspective view of the device 300 of FIG. 3. Asshown, the inner leads 308 b and outer leads 308 a comprise a total orninety-six (96) leads composed of four (4) in-line rows. However, whilethe embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 3 a show these leads disposed in-line, itis appreciated that the leads (e.g., the inner and outer sets) may beoffset from one another as well to provide alternatives to trace routingon an end customers printed circuit board, etc. Advantageously, theleads also are formed from a copper based alloy plated with a tin-nickeloverplate that is compliant with the restriction of hazardous substances(“RoHS”) directive well known in the electronic arts. It is recognized,however, that any number of plating and base material combinations maybe used (such as Alloy 42 with a tin/lead alloy, etc.) consistent withthe present invention, the aforementioned copper alloy/tin-nickelcombination merely being exemplary.

The lower header 306 is positioned inside of the upper header 304 viaguided ramped surfaces 310 in order for form a substantially unitarydevice 300. The retention features 312 prevent the lower and upperheaders from separating after they have been assembled; many differentvarieties of such features can be used. The device cover 302 generallycomprises a high temperature polymer. Notwithstanding, the performancerequirements need not necessarily be as stringent as is required withthe upper 304 and lower 306 vertical headers, since the upper header 304and the lower header 306 may be subjected to direct contact with aeutectic solder bath during optional mass termination and/or leadtinning processes while the cover 302 generally will not.

The cover 302 also includes a plurality of snap features 314 that arereceived within respective features on the upper header 304, although aplurality of other methods could be utilized (i.e., heat staking, epoxyadhesives, etc.).

FIG. 3 b shows a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of thelower header 306 of the device 300. The lower header 306 generallycomprises an injection molded polymer base 380, a plurality of surfacemountable terminal pins 308 b, with both a board mounting end and a wirewrap end 320 a, 320 b. As previously discussed, the molded polymer base380 comprises a high temperature polymer such as a liquid crystalpolymer (“LCP”) previously described. Alternatively, a high temperaturephenolic may be used as previously described, as well as any number ofother materials.

Although the wire wrap ends 320 a, 320 b are generally considered partof the surface mount lead terminals 308 a, 308 b, this is not arequirement. In some cases, it may be desirable to form the twostructures as separate entities and place the features in signalcommunication with one another, such as through the addition of a copperwire, traces, etc. However, where an insert molding process is utilizedto form the polymer base 380, it is typically desirable that thefeatures be formed from a single unitary structure. The wire wrapfeatures of the wire wrap ends 320 a, 320 b are characterized by anotched feature denoted by the dimension “x”. This dimension ensures asufficient number of turns (i.e., 2-3 turns) can be placed around thewire wrap prior to any soldering operations to make sure the wire staysas it is placed. Other notch configurations can be used, and furthermorethe presence of the notches is optional.

Also of note is the offset present between adjacent ones of the wirewrap ends 320 a, 320 b. Although not required, this offset is desirablein many cases since it provides additional spacing between terminals toprevent the occurrence of solder “bridging” during solder manufacturingprocesses. It has been found by the Assignee hereof that a spacinggreater than about 0.040 inches (˜1 mm) is generally sufficient toprevent solder bridging between adjacent terminals during solder dippingoperations.

A cavity 321 formed in the lower header is adapted to house a pluralityof electronic components (e.g. the toroidal coil 340 shown in FIG. 3 b).The cavity 321 is generally rectangular in shape with a bottom surfacethat is circular in cross section. Such a shape provides an efficientpacking of components within the lower vertical header 306 itself,although other shapes are contemplated depending on the geometry of theelectronic components that need to be housed. The header cavity 321 mayalso have a heterogeneous profile; such as where one region has oneprofile (for one type of component), and another region another profileto efficiently accommodate a second type of component.

A plurality of wire-routing cavities 322 a, 322 b provide channels forthe routing of wires from inside the cavity 321 to the terminal ends 320a, 320 b. This is particularly useful when wound toroidal cores 340 orother components are placed within the cavity to prevent damaging thewires during coil placement, soldering processes, etc.; however, such achannel may not be needed in certain configurations, such as that shownin FIG. 3 d discussed subsequently herein.

FIG. 3 c shows a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of anupper header 304, with a lower header 306 engaged in its lower portion.The upper header 304 generally comprises an injection molded polymerbase 390, a plurality of surface mountable terminal pins 308 a, withboth a board mounting end and a wire wrap end 348 a, 348 b. Aspreviously discussed, the molded polymer base 390 comprises a hightemperature polymer such as, e.g., a liquid crystal polymer (“LCP”) orphenolic.

Similar to the lower header 306 previously discussed, the wire wrap ends348 a, 348 b are part of surface mount lead terminals 308 a, though thisis not necessarily a requirement (e.g., where device 300 geometries donot allow them to be part of a unitary structure). As previously noted,it may be desirable under certain circumstances to form the twostructures as separate entities, and place the features in electricalcommunication with one another. However, where an insert molding processis utilized to form the polymer base 390, it is often desirable that thefeatures comprise a single unitary structure.

An offset is again present between adjacent wire wrap ends 348 a, 348 blike wire wrap ends 320 a, 320 b in the embodiment of FIG. 3 c. Aspreviously discussed, this offset is desirable as it provides additionalspacing (greater than about 1 mm) between terminals to prevent theoccurrence of solder “bridging” during solder manufacturing processes.

A cavity 392 formed in the header 304 is adapted to house a plurality ofelectronic components (e.g. the toroidal coils 340 shown in FIG. 3 b).The cavity 392 is generally rectangular in shape with a bottom surfacethat is circular in cross section and generally can be larger thancavity 321 of the other header 306 due to the geometry of the exemplarydevice 300. Such a cavity shape again provides an efficient packing ofcomponents within the upper header 304 itself, although other shapes arecontemplated depending on the geometry of the electronic components thatneed to be housed.

A plurality of wire-routing cavities 350 a, 350 b provide channels forthe routing of wires from inside the cavity 392 to the terminal ends 348a, 348 b. This is particularly useful when wound toroidal cores 340 areplaced within the cavity to prevent damaging the wires during coilplacement, soldering processes, etc.; however, such a channel may not beneeded in configurations such as that shown in FIG. 3 d.

The post receptacles 352 are adapted to receive respective posts fromthe cover 302 to help ensure proper alignment, while the snap undercuts396 provide a feature to receive a respective cantilever snap on thecover 302. Other methods of securing the cover 302 to the upper verticalheader 304 are contemplated as well, such as heat-staking, epoxyadhesives and the like consistent with the principles of the presentinvention.

Similar to the configurations discussed previously with respect to FIG.1 a, et seq., the aforementioned “vertical” configuration of FIG. 3improves the modularity of the overall design, as compared with priorart techniques, and further provides manufacturing advantages such asreduced rework and scrapping costs. As a result, the device of FIGS. 3-3c provide an overall more cost effective solution than prior art devicesdue at least in part to savings in costs associated with the improvedmodularity.

FIG. 3 d shows a second embodiment of the device 300 shown in FIG. 3,now incorporating a printed circuit board 360 with the upper and/orlower modular headers 304, 306. For purposes of brevity, theincorporation of a printed circuit board 360 within the upper header 304is now discussed, although it is recognized that either or both of theheaders could incorporate the printed circuit board consistent with theprinciples of the present invention.

A plurality of plated through-holes are positioned throughout theprinted circuit board 360 to receive the terminal wire wrap ends 348 a,348 b. Optional standoffs (not shown) may also be employed to positionthe printed circuit board 360 above the wire wrap features 354 so thatwires from any internally mounted components, such as the toroids 340,are not damaged as a result of placement of the printed circuit board360. The printed circuit board 360 can be either a single or multi-layervariety with any number of electronic components mounted thereon, oralternatively a flex board of the type well known in the art. The use ofminiaturized printed circuit boards in conjunction with other electroniccomponents such as wound toroidal cores 340 is well understood in theart, especially for telecommunications applications, and as such willnot be discussed further herein.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a method 400 of manufacturing theaforementioned “vertically” stacked header assembly 300 of FIG. 3 isdescribed in detail. It is noted that while the following description iscast in terms of the device 300 of FIG. 3, the broader concepts of themethod 400 of the invention disclosed herein are equally applicable toalternative configurations.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the method 400 generally comprises firstwinding the magnetically permeable toroidal coils (or otherwisepreparing the electronic components) per step 402. These toroidal coilsmay be wound manually or alternatively could be wound using an automatedprocess such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,310. The coils maythen be optionally stripped and/or “pre-tinned” to provide exposedconductive ends to the wound coils.

Either serially or in parallel, the upper and lower header lead framesare pre-formed in step 404, and the upper 304 and lower 306 headers areinjection molded with the pre-formed lead frames present in the mold,such as by using an injection molding apparatus (step 406).

In step 405, the wound coils are subjected to optional electrical and/orphysical testing and inspection. The coils may be tested for opencircuit inductance (“OCL”), DC-resistance (“DCR”), turns-ratio testingand the like. The purpose of such testing and inspection is to verifythat the coils have been manufactured properly and meet electrical (andmechanical) design constraints prior to being mounted within a modularheader housing, thereby preventing costly waste and/or rework. Forexample, if a coil does need to be re-worked, it often can require aslittle as the winding of an additional turn, which is much simpler toperform prior to the wound toroid being mounted the upper and lowervertical headers 304, 306. Physical inspection can be utilized toinspect for such defects as chipped toroid cores and nicked wires, whichcould cause subsequent failure of the component(s).

In step 408, the wound coils are mounted in the upper and lower headers.The coils can optionally be secured in the modular header housingutilizing an adhesive such as a single or dual stage epoxy, or asilicone or other encapsulant or potting compound. Alternatively, thecoils may be secured simply by routing the wires into the channels 322a, 322 b, 350 a, 350 b and wrapping the wires around the terminals 320a, 320 b, 348 a, 348 b.

In step 410, the wire-wrapped terminals 320 a, 320 b, 348 a, 348 b areeach dipped into a eutectic solder bath, and the wires from the coils340 mass-terminated to the terminals 320 a, 320 b, 348 a, 348 b. Becausethe upper and lower headers are made from a high temperature polymer,the dimensional integrity of the assembly remains stable even if itremains partially submerged in the solder bath for a few seconds.

In steps 410 and 412, optional printed circuit boards 360 that have beenpre-populated with electronic components are mounted onto the properrespective upper or lower header, and subsequently soldered. While theprinted circuit board 360 is most advantageously pre-populated, this isby no means a requirement, and any number of alternative manufacturingprocesses can be utilized post-mounting (i.e., hand soldering,resistance welding, etc.).

In step 415, each header, both upper and lower, can individually orjointly be electrically tested to ensure there are no defects inworkmanship (i.e., cold solder joints, coil shorts due to solder splash,etc.).

In step 416, the lower header 306 is mounted inside of the upper header304 utilizing a snap-fit mechanism as previously described. While a snapfit is exemplary because of its simplicity and elimination of excessprocessing steps, other manufacturing methods such as e.g., heat stakingand/or use of epoxy adhesives could be used consistent with theprinciples of the present invention.

In step 418, the top cover 302 is snapped into place over the upperheader 304 and is subsequently marked and/or otherwise labeled toidentify such items as part number, manufacturing location, country oforigin, date code, patent notice, etc.

In step 420, the final assembled part is sent to final test prior tobeing shipped to an end customer, as previously described with respectto other embodiments.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a third embodiment of a vertically stackedheader assembly device 500 according to the principles of the presentinvention is described. The device 500 of FIG. 5 comprises a lowerheader 506, upper header 504 and a cover 502. However, it should benoted that in this embodiment both the upper header 504 and the lowerheader 506 are essentially identical components with the terminologyupper and lower merely reflecting the components respective positionswith one another (and not any particular absolute position ororientation with respect to a parent device). The primary differencebetween the illustrated upper and lower headers is the positioning ofthe leads 508 a and 508 b within the header itself.

The device 500 comprises four (4) rows of through-hole leads 508 a, 508b, each protruding from the bottom service of the upper and lowerheaders respectively. It is appreciated however, that the device 500 canbe readily modified to accommodate surface mountable leads, similar tothose shown in FIG. 3. As the device 500 shown utilizes through-holeleads, the upper header 504, lower header 506 and case 502 need not allcomprise a high temperature polymer adapted for use in high temperaturereflow environments; however a high temperature polymer may be used ifdesired for other high temperature applications, such as for solderimmersion techniques discussed previously herein.

FIG. 5 a shows a perspective view of the device 500 with the cover 502removed. As is clear in this perspective view, the inner leads 508 b andouter leads 508 a comprise ninety-six (96) individual leads composed offour (4) rows in offset disposition, only a portion of which areassociated with the upper header 504. While the embodiment of FIGS. 5and 5 a show these leads in offset disposition, it will be appreciatedthat the leads (e.g., the inner and outer sets) may be in-line withrespect to one another as well, assuming adaptation of certain otherfeatures (such as the lead guide channels discussed below).

The leads 508 a, 508 b comprise a copper based alloy plated with atin-nickel overplate that is compliant with the RoHS directive. However,any number of plating and base material combinations may be used (suchas a phosphor bronze pin with a tin/lead alloy, etc.) consistent withthe disclosure of the present invention, the aforementioned copperalloy/tin-nickel combination merely being exemplary.

The lower header 506 mates with the upper header 504 via symmetricalfeatures common to both headers 506, 504 providing a modular design thatcan accommodate not only the two headers shown but even one or moreadditional headers (e.g., in a stacked disposition). The retentionfeatures 510, 512 prevent the lower and upper headers from separatingafter they have been assembled. The cover 502 shown in FIG. 5 generallycomprises an injection molded polymer similar in composition to theupper 504 and lower 506 headers, although the polymer chosen could be ofa lower or different grade. This is because the upper and lower headersmay be subjected to direct contact with a eutectic solder bath duringoptional mass termination and/or lead tinning processes, while the cover502 would not necessarily be so exposed. The cover 502 generallycomprises a plurality of snap features 512 that receive respectivefeatures 510 on the upper vertical header 504, although a plurality ofother methods could be utilized (i.e., heat staking, epoxy adhesives orthe like).

FIG. 5 b shows a perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of alower header 506. The lower header 506 generally comprises an injectionmolded polymer base 580, a plurality of through-hole terminal pins 508a, 508 b, with both a board mounting end and a wire wrap end. Aspreviously discussed, the molded polymer base 580 could comprise a hightemperature polymer such as LCP or other materials.

The leads 508 a, 508 b are characterized on the top half of the header506 by dimension “X” as illustrated. This dimension “X” may varysubstantially from pin to pin as needed. For example, a first pin mayonly need to have a small amount of material exposed; e.g., just enoughfor 2-3 turns of wire originating from an internally mounted coil 540.However, a second pin may have much more pin exposed so that, e.g., aconnection can be made from a coil within the lower header 506 whilesubsequently being fed through the upper header 504 and also connectedto an electronic component resident within or in close proximity to thesecond header 504.

Also of note is the offset present between adjacent wire wrap ends aspreviously discussed. Although not always required, this offset isdesirable as it provides additional spacing between terminals to preventthe occurrence of solder “bridging” during solder manufacturingprocesses.

A cavity 521 is adapted to house a plurality of electronic components(e.g. the toroidal coil 540 shown in FIG. 5 b). The cavity 521 is againgenerally rectangular in shape to provide an efficient packing ofcomponents within the lower header 506 itself, although other shapes arecontemplated depending on the geometry of the electronic components thatneed to be housed. A plurality of wire-routing cavities 522 a, 522 bprovide channels for the routing of wires from inside the cavity 521 tothe terminal ends of pins 508 a, 508 b. This is particularly useful whenwound toroidal cores 540 are placed within the cavity to preventdamaging the wires during coil placement, soldering processes, etc.;however, such a channel may not be needed in configurations such as thatshown in FIG. 5 d discussed subsequently herein. It is noted that theinternal channel 522 a of the illustrated embodiment is generallyY-shaped; this allows wires to be routed to either of two possible pinlocations and contributing to an improvement in the overall modularityof the design.

The exemplary interlocking features 550 a and 550 b shown serve two mainpurposes. The feature 550 b on the lower header 506 will mate with arespective 550 a feature on an upper header (not shown). This allows theconnection between the upper header and the lower header 506 to beconstrained in at least 4 degrees of freedom. The second purpose of theinterlocking features is to provide a cavity in through-hole mountingapplications that allows the underside of the device 500 to be cleanedin standard washing operations. This is significant, as chemicals suchas fluxes can be highly corrosive if left on the device 500 aftersoldering it to a printed circuit board or other device, and accordinglymust be washed off in order to prevent corrosive effects.

FIG. 5 c shows a perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of anupper header 504. Note again that the upper header is essentiallyidentical in geometry to the lower header 506, thereby contributing tothe overall modularity of the design. The upper header 504 generallycomprises an injection molded polymer base 590, a plurality ofthrough-hole terminal pins 508 a, 508 b with both a first (boardmounting) end and a second (wire wrap) end. Note that the board mountingend is much longer in length than in the corresponding component in thelower header 506 shown in FIG. 5 b. This is because these leads 508 a,508 b need to be fed through the lower header 504 in order to makecontact with the parent device (e.g., printed circuit board). Aspreviously discussed, the molded polymer base 590 advantageouslycomprises a high temperature polymer such as the aforementioned LCP.

The leads 508 a, 508 b can be either insert-molded or alternatively maybe post-inserted into the injection molded polymer base 590 after it hasbeen formed. As noted with regards to the device 100 of FIG. 1 a, anycombination of pin sizes and shapes can be utilized depending on designconstraints and/or preferences of the designer.

FIG. 5 d shows a fourth exemplary embodiment of the device incorporatinga printed circuit board 560 with either the upper and/or lower header504,506 shown in FIGS. 5-5 c. For purposes of brevity, only theincorporation of a printed circuit board 560 within the lower header 506is discussed, although it will be recognized that either or both of theheaders may incorporate the printed circuit board with adaptationsreadily apparent to one of ordinary skill given the present disclosure.A plurality of plated through holes are positioned throughout theprinted circuit board 560 to receive the ends of the terminals 508 a,508 b. Optional standoffs (not shown) may also be employed as previouslydescribed. The printed circuit board 560 may be e.g., a single-layer,multi-layer, or flex variety with any number of electronic componentsmounted thereon. Also, while the printed circuit board 560 is shown as asingle-unitary structure, the board may comprise a plurality of printedcircuit boards as well. This alternative embodiment might be more costefficient in certain applications, and provide greater modularity (sincethe boards are separate), thereby resulting in a lower material coststhan if a single printed circuit board 560 were used.

Referring to FIG. 5 e, a fifth exemplary embodiment of a verticalstacked header assembly is shown. This embodiment is generally similarto the embodiments previously described with respect to FIGS. 5-5 c(i.e., incorporating a cover 502, upper stacked header 504 and lowerstacked header 506); however, the embodiment of FIG. 5 e incorporates asurface mountable printed substrate 560 mated proximate the bottom ofthe lower header 506, instead of the through-hole mounting shown in,e.g. FIG. 5. As previously discussed herein with respect to othervertical stacked header embodiments, this configuration may also use anynumber of stacked headers although only two are illustrated.

As best shown in FIG. 5 f, the lower header 506 of this embodiment isessentially identical to that disclosed in FIG. 5 b. The lower header506 generally comprises an injection molded polymer base 580 and aplurality of terminal pins 508 a, 508 b, each with both a board mountingend and a wire wrap end.

The leads 508 a, 508 b are characterized on the top half of the header506 by the dimension “X”. This dimension may vary substantially from pinto pin, depending on the electrical circuit needed and the outputfootprint desired. For example, a first pin may only need to have asmall amount of material exposed, just enough for 2-3 turns of wireoriginating from an internally mounted coil 540. However, a second pinmay have larger dimension “X” then the first pin so that, e.g., aconnection can be made from a coil within the lower header 506 to anupper header 504. If sufficiently long, the second pin 508 cansubsequently be fed through the upper header 504 from the bottom of theheader and connected to an electronic component resident within (or inclose proximity to) the second header 504.

Moreover, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 e-5 f is not limited to a wirepin. In alternate embodiments, it may be desirable to utilize an insertmolded leadframe construction, such as that described with regards toFIGS. 3-3 d. Myriad other alternatives are compatible with theinvention, and would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill giventhe present disclosure.

As can be seen in FIG. 5 f, the cavity 521 of the header 506 is adaptedto house a plurality of electronic components (such as the toroidal coil540 shown in FIG. 5 b). The cavity 521 is generally rectangular inshape, with a circular bottom surface. As previously noted, this shapeprovides an efficient packing of toroidal components within the lowerheader 506 itself, although other shapes are contemplated depending onthe geometry of the electronic components that are housed. A pluralityof wire-routing cavities 522 provide channels for the routing of wiresfrom inside the cavity 521 to the terminal ends of the pins 508. This isparticularly useful when wound toroidal cores 540 are placed within thecavity to prevent damaging the wires during coil placement, solderingprocesses, etc.; however, such a channel may not be needed in otherconfigurations as previously discussed (see e.g., the discussion of FIG.5 d). Note that the internal channel 522 a is generally Y-shaped,similar to the embodiment discussed in FIG. 5 b. This allows wires to berouted to either of two possible pin locations and contributing to theoverall modularity of the design. Channel shapes other than “Y” can beused for such purposes, however, as will be apparent to those ofordinary skill.

The printed substrate 560 generally comprises one or more conductivemetal cladding sheets (e.g., copper sheets) with an insulated substratesuch as FR-4 separating the one or more metal layers. The printedsubstrate 560 also comprises a plurality of plated through holes 562adapted to receive the board mounting ends of the lower and upper headerpins 508. A plurality of electronic components, such as the surfacemountable chip or bead components 570 shown in FIG. 5 f, may be disposedon the surface of the printed substrate 560 and in signal communicationwith various pins present in the device 500. Although it is primarilycontemplated that electronic components be mounted directly to thesubstrate 560, it is also contemplated that the board 560 may also beutilized solely for the purpose of routing electrical connections viacopper traces between respective terminals 562 located on the substrateitself. The substrate may also be used to carry one or more “piggyback”substrates (e.g., smaller PCBs mated thereto) that can carry theaforementioned electronic components.

As best shown in FIG. 5 g, the bottom of the printed substrate 560comprises a plurality of plated through-holes 562 as previouslydiscussed, as well as a plurality of printed substrate pads 564. Inembodiments where pins 508 are utilized for through-hole mounting (i.e.utilized for mounting to a printed circuit board or other parentapparatus, not shown), the need for printed substrate pads 564 isobviated. However, if pins 508 are only utilized as electric connectionbetween the printed substrate 560 and the device 500, and not forconnection to a parent device, then the printed substrate pads 564 canbe utilized for purposes of surface mounting the device 500 to theexternal apparatus.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 f, the pins 508 are received inrespective printed circuit board 560 through-holes 562. As can be seenbest in FIGS. 5 g-5 h, the pins 508 are adapted to be at or just belowthe bottom surface 566 of the substrate 560. The pins 508 are thenplaced into electrical communication with the printed circuit board 560via a soldering operation, resistance welding, or the like. Next, theprinted substrate 560 is placed into a BGA fixture, which adds balls 588of eutectic solder to the pads 564 as shown in FIG. 5 h. The BGA fixtureis adapted to maintain co-planarity between each of the solder balls 588of approximately 0.004 inches (or approximately 0.1 mm) in theillustrated embodiment, although other values may be used. Thisconstruction allows the device to be utilized with standard surfacemount solder paste screenings of 0.1 mm. BGA technology, and devices andfixtures which create BGA solder connections, are well known in the artand as such will not be discussed further herein.

Referring now to FIG. 6, an exemplary electrical configuration utilizedon the device having a printed circuit board 560 (e.g., the device 500of FIG. 5 f) is disclosed. FIG. 6 illustrates what amounts to a singleport or channel in a Gigabit Ethernet (GBE) telecommunicationsapplication. The coils 602, 604, 606, and 608 may be housed in eitherupper header 504 or lower header 506, while the resistors 610 andcapacitor 612 may be mounted on the printed circuit board 560. The useof printed circuit boards in conjunction with other electroniccomponents such as wound toroidal cores 540 is well understood in theart, especially for telecommunications applications, and as such willnot be discussed further herein.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the method 700 of manufacturing theaforementioned third exemplary embodiment of a vertically stacked headerbase assembly 500 (FIG. 5 b) is described in detail. It is noted thatwhile the following description is cast in terms of the device of FIG. 5b, the broader concepts of this method are equally applicable to otheralternative configurations.

The exemplary method 700 generally comprises first winding themagnetically permeable toroidal coils, and/or preparing the otherelectrical components (step 702). The exemplary toroidal coils may bewound manually or alternatively could be wound using an automatedprocess such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,310 previouslyincorporated herein. The coils may then be optionally stripped and/or“pre-tinned” to provide exposed conductive ends to the wound coils.

Either serially or in parallel, the header bodies are injection moldedin step 704. The resultant headers are next designated as either anupper 504 or lower 506 headers. In step 706, depending on whether theheader has been chosen as an upper or lower header, round conductivepins are post inserted according to a specific pre-determined pattern sothat the upper and lower headers may later interface with one another ina cooperative manner.

In step 705, the wound coils are subjected to optional electrical and/orphysical testing. The coils may be tested for open circuit inductance(“OCL”), DC-resistance (“DCR”), turns-ratio testing and the like. Thepurpose of such a test is to verify that the coils have beenmanufactured properly and meet design constraints prior to being mountedwithin a modular header housing, thereby preventing costly waste and/orrework. For example, if a coil does need to be re-worked, it often canrequire as little as the winding of an additional turn, which is muchsimpler to perform prior to the wound toroid being mounted the upper andlower vertical headers 704, 706. Physical inspection could be utilizedto inspect for such defects as chipped toroids and nicked wires whichcould cause field failures later down the line.

In step 708, the wound coils are mounted in the upper and lower headers.The coils can optionally be secured in the modular header housingutilizing an adhesive such as a single or dual stage epoxy, orencapsulant or potting compound. Alternatively, the coils will besecured simply by routing the wires into the channels 522 a, 522 b andwrapping the wires around terminals 508 a, 508 b.

In step 710, the wire-wrapped terminal ends 508 a, 508 b are each dippedinto a eutectic solder bath, and the wires from the coils 540 aremass-terminated to the terminal ends of the signal pins 508 a, 508 b.Because the upper and lower headers are made from a high temperaturepolymer, the dimensional integrity of the assembly remains stable aspreviously described.

In steps 712 and 714, optional printed circuit boards 560 that have beenpre-populated with electronic components are mounted on to the upperand/or lower headers and subsequently soldered. While the printedcircuit board 560 is most advantageously pre-populated, this is by nomeans a requirement.

Per step 713, the each upper and lower header assembly can individuallyor jointly be optionally electrically tested to ensure there are nodefects in workmanship (i.e., cold solder joints, coil shorts due tosolder splash, etc.).

In step 716, the lower header 506 is mounted on the underside of theupper header 404 utilizing, e.g., a snap-fit. The terminals 508 a, 508 bon upper header 504 are placed through respective terminal holes on thelower header 506. While a snap fit is exemplary because of itssimplicity and elimination of excess processing steps, othermanufacturing methods such as e.g., heat staking and/or use of epoxyadhesives could be used consistent with the principles of the presentinvention.

In step 718, the top cover 502 is snapped into place over the upperheader 504, and is subsequently marked and/or otherwise labeled toidentify such items as part number, manufacturing location, country oforigin, date code, patent marking, etc. In the exemplary embodimentshown in FIG. 5, the cover 502 is placed onto the upper header 504utilizing a snap-fit, although other methods including epoxy adhesives,heat staking and the like are contemplated.

In step 720, the final assembled part is sent to final test prior tobeing shipped to an end user or sent for further processing, aspreviously described.

Referring now to FIG. 8 a, a first embodiment of mixed header assemblydevice 800 is shown. The device 800 comprises an outer case 802, and aplurality of modular header housings (not shown), each of which utilizessix (6) to twelve (12) round conductive pins 808, although any numbercould be chosen depending on particular design constraints of theapplication. The device 800 of the present invention, like the otherconfigurations discussed previously herein, utilizes an inner 808 b andouter 808 a set of conductive pins 800. This dual-row configurationincreases signal pin density; however, other approaches andconfigurations of the pins may be used as well.

Referring now to FIG. 8 b, the first embodiment of FIG. 8 a is shownwith the cover 802 removed. The mixed header assembly device 800comprises a plurality of modular header elements incorporating featuresof both the horizontal and vertical configurations discussed previously.The mixed header assembly device 800 is composed of two rows 804 and 806of modular header support elements 880. A plurality of pins 808, 810provide a signal communication between the plurality of toroidal coils840 and the board receiving ends 808 of the conductive pins. While thefirst embodiment shows a 4×2 configuration (i.e. four modular headersupport elements 880 per row and two rows), because of the advantageousmodularity of the design, any number of configurations may be utilizedconsistent with the principles of the present invention. For example, an8×2, 4×3, etc. device could be made.

Referring to FIG. 8 c, an exemplary embodiment of a modular headersupport element 880 is shown. The element 880 generally comprises apolymer material such as a high-temperature thermoset or thermoplasticpolymer. The element 880 can advantageously be manufactured by aninjection-molding process, although other processes such as e.g.,machining can be used, injection-molding merely being exemplary. Theelement 880 is formed from a liquid crystal polymer (LCP), phenolic, orother such material with the desired properties.

The modular header elements 880 generally comprise a cavity 826 forhousing components such as wire wound toroidal components. While thiscavity 826 is shown placing components, such as wound toroids, in agenerally vertical orientation, it is appreciated that these cavitiescould alternatively be placed in a horizontal, or any other position forthat matter, depending on the design constraints of the final design.Alternatively, the cavity 826 could be replaced with a plurality ofcavities specifically adapted for a certain number or type of electroniccomponents, whether homogeneous or heterogeneous in nature. A pluralityof wire routing cavities (not shown) may be used to protect and routewire or leadframe to the terminal ends 810 of the signal conducting pins808, or alternatively between vertically adjacent modular headerelements 880. The spacing between modular header elements 880 andbetween the terminal end 810 and cavity 826 can also be adjusted to meetcreepage and clearance requirements for supplementary insulation ifdesired.

Exemplary posts 860 are used in the illustrated embodiment so that aplurality of modular header elements 880 may be stacked in horizontalsuccession (as best shown in FIG. 8 d), as well as being used to orientthe modular header elements 880 with the outer case shown in FIG. 8 f.These posts 860 engage respective holes (not shown) on the other side ofa second modular header element 880 to which the first is mated. Theseposts may engage with their respective holes via a sliding or frictionalfit, or alternatively may contain retention features that allow themodular header elements 120 to engage and lock one another.Alternatively, epoxy adhesives or heat staking may be utilized to securethe modular header elements 880 to one another.

For stacking these modular header elements 880 vertically (as best shownin FIG. 8 e), the terminal receiving holes 820 are specifically adaptedto receive the conductive pins 808 from a device assembled from above.These conductive pins 808 that are received within holes 820 may purelyact as mechanical features so that they only need locate and securemodular header housings vertically with respect to one another, oralternatively may also act as a signal interface between upper modularheader elements 880 and the end product printed circuit board (notshown). In the latter case, the pins 808 will be sufficiently long topass completely through the lower modular header elements 806, andprovide a direct interface between the upper element(s) 804 and the endproduct printed circuit board.

While discussed with regards to specific embodiments shown in FIGS. 8a-8 f, other embodiments of the invention (i.e., mixture or combinationof the “vertical” and “horizontal” variants) will be readily apparent tothose of ordinary skill given the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIG. 9, the method 900 of manufacturing the modularheader assembly 800 of FIGS. 8 a-8 e is described in detail. It is notedthat while the following description is cast in terms of the four by two(4×2) modular header assembly of FIG. 8 e, the broader methodology isequally applicable to other configurations.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the method 900 generally comprises firstwinding the magnetically permeable toroidal coils (or otherwisepreparing the electrical components) per step 902. Either serially or inparallel, the modular header elements 880 of FIG. 8 c are formed usingan injection molding apparatus (step 904). The modular header elements880 may either have the terminal pins 808 insert molded during step 904,or alternatively be post-inserted after molding in step 906. Each header880 may also have a different lead pattern based on its position withinthe final assembly 800. In the embodiment of FIG. 8 e, each uppermodular header will have the same pin pattern as other upper modularheaders while each lower modular header will have the same pin patternas other lower modular headers.

In step 905, the wound coils are subjected to optional electrical and/orphysical testing. The coils may be tested for open circuit inductance(“OCL”), DC-resistance (“DCR”), turns-ratio testing and the like.

In step 908, the wound coils are mounted on the respective modularheader elements 880. The coils can optionally be secured in the modularheader element utilizing an adhesive such as a single or dual stageepoxy, encapsulant, or potting compound. Alternatively, the coils can besecured simply by routing the wires into the channels (not shown) andwrapping the wires around terminals 810.

In step 910, the wire-wrapped terminals 810 are dipped into a eutecticsolder bath and the wires are mass-terminated to the terminals.

In step 911, each modular header assembly shown in FIG. 8 e canoptionally be electrically tested to ensure there are no defects inworkmanship (i.e., cold solder joints, coil shorts due to solder splash,etc.).

In step 912, the modular header housing assemblies are “stacked”horizontally with their posts 860 being placed into respective holes onthe back side of an adjacent modular header element 880. In theexemplary embodiment of FIG. 8 e, four (4) modular header housingassemblies are stacked in succession to form half of the filter device800. More or less modular header housing assemblies could be usedconsistent with the present invention, and the two (or more) verticallystacked rows need not have the same number of header elements 880 ineach row. Friction between the posts and respective holes hold themodular header elements together, although adhesives or yet other meanswell known to those of ordinary skill could be used as well.

In step 914, a second grouping of upper modular header elements 804 areplaced on top of the grouping of lower modular header elements 806assembled in step 912. Each of the upper modular header assemblies 804are first stacked horizontally (similar to step 912), and then the uppermodular base leads 808 are routed through holes 820 located in the lowermodular header elements. The resulting assembly forms a four-by-two(4×2) modular header assembly.

In step 916, the cover 802 is assembled over the four-by-two assembly.Guide posts 860 on the assembly are placed within cover grooves 870 toorient and position the assembly within the cover. An epoxy adhesive isutilized to secure the cover to the assembly to form the device shown inFIG. 8 a, although other methods such as heat staking or mechanicalinterlocks could be readily incorporated into the design by one ofordinary skill. Alternatively, no adhesive or other means are used, theassembly merely relying on the mechanical interface (e.g., snap fit,friction, etc.) between the two components to retain them in place.

In step 918, the final assembled part is sent to final test prior tobeing shipped to an end user (or further processing).

Referring now to FIG. 10, yet another embodiment of a modular headerassembly is described. As shown in FIG. 10, this device 1000 comprisesan outer case 1040, a plurality (e.g. eight (4)) of modular headersupport assemblies 1020 each of which utilize twenty-four (24) straightconductive pins 1022. The exemplary device 1000 of FIG. 10 therefore hasa total of ninety-six (96) signal conducting straight pins 1022. Thepins 1022 can either be utilized for through-hole applications, oralternatively could be specifically adapted for surface mountingapplications (as shown in embodiments discussed previously andsubsequently herein). In one variant of the aforementioned surfacemounting applications, the pins 1022 may be placed into solderingfixtures which deposit a small semi-spherical ball of solder at the tipof each pin 1022. The device 1000 then may be mounted to an end customerprinted circuit board in a ball-grid array (“BGA”) fashion.

Alternatively, each of the pins 1022 will be received in a printedcircuit board 1080; however in one variant the length of the pins 1022will not be long enough to pass entirely through the thickness of theboard 1080. The semi-spherical solder balls are then added to the bottomside of the printed circuit board 1080 while being electrically coupledto the pins 1022 via traces present within one or more of the copperlayers present on the printed board 1080. The latter BGA-likeconfiguration is exemplary as it reduces lead lengths of the pins 1022and resultant inductances of the leads, thereby promoting less signaldistortion at high frequencies than similar through-hole mountedconfigurations, while simplifying assembly techniques in the endapplication for configurations which desire the use of surface mounttechnology (“SMT”).

Also, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 and 10 a, twenty four (24)signal conducting pins 1022 are shown for each modular element, althoughit will be appreciated that more or fewer pins may be utilized dependingon the desired design constraints. In addition, the terminal pins 1022may be either insert molded or post-inserted. The present inventioncontemplates literally any suitable approach for maintaining the pins ina substantially fixed position with respect to the support element(s)1020.

The signal conducting terminals 1022, while shown utilizing a generallyround cross-sectional shape, may be utilized in any number ofcross-sectional shapes (including without limitation square,rectangular, triangular, polygonal, e.g., hexagonal, oval or elliptical,and so forth) depending on the particular needs of the application. Inanother exemplary embodiment, the round pins 1022 can be manufacturedwith flat edges pressed into the round pin on opposing sides near thewire terminating area of the pin 1022. These flat areas give a sharpedge where the wires are to be placed so that the wires can be readily“cut” by hand after the wire has been wrapped around the pin so as tofacilitate the wire wrapping of the pins 1022.

In yet other alternative embodiments utilizing the aforementionedpost-insertion process, other cross sectional shapes such as hexagonalcross sections have advantages in terms of pin retention strength andpin insertion yield (i.e. by reducing the amount of modular headersupport elements 1020 that are cracked during the pin insertionprocess). The large number of variations and tradeoffs for the selectionof signal conducting pins 1022 are well understood in the art, and assuch will not be discussed further herein.

Referring back to FIG. 10 a, an exemplary embodiment of a modular header1020 utilized in the embodiment of FIG. 10 is shown. Each element 1020generally comprises a polymer material such as a high-temperaturethermoset or thermoplastic polymer (e.g., LCP as previously discussed),with a plurality of conductive pins 1022 present therein. The header1020 is advantageously manufactured by an injection-molding process. Inanother exemplary embodiment, the header 1020 comprises a hightemperature phenolic of the type previously described, although yetother materials may be used with equal success.

The modular header 1020 plastic housing element generally comprises aplurality (e.g. two (2)) of cavities 1004, for receiving electroniccomponents such as wire wound toroidal components 1010, although it isforeseeable that in certain applications a single cavity may be formedon either side of the header 1020, or alternatively a single cavity 1004could be formed as a through-hole through the entire header 1020 width.In addition, a plurality of smaller cavities (not shown) could be placedwithin the larger cavity 1010 for the placement of center tapped wires,etc.

The header 1020 further comprises a plurality of wire routing channels1008 that are adapted to route wire, either: (1) from cavity 1004 toopposite cavity 1004; or (2) from cavity 1004 to lead 1022. The lengthof these channels 1008 can also be adjusted to meet creepage andclearance requirements for supplementary insulation requirements ifdesired, or for other purposes, as previously discussed.

As best seen in FIG. 10 a, the exemplary configuration of the cavity1004 is recessed within a larger cavity 1016. This stacking of recessedcavities provides added room for the routing of wires (such as thoseexiting from the wound toroidal coils) while preventing damage fromresultant header 1020 stacking Optionally, other electronic components(or electronic components mounted on substrates) could be housed withinthe outer cavity 1016, while the wound toroids 1010 are housed withinthe inner cavity 1004. Myriad other possibilities exist with theutilization of a “cavity within a cavity” configuration of the typeshown in FIG. 10 a.

The aforementioned wire routing channels 1008 are defined by theirrespective ridges 1014. These ridge-channel combinations advantageouslyutilize curved or chamfered lead-in features to further prevent damageto routed wires, while cleanly guiding respective wires to desired pins1022. The further use of channels 1008 also helps minimize manufacturingerrors helping to index wires to there proper respective channel andsubsequent respective pin 1022. Further markings or features (notshown), such as e.g., dimples, letters, numbers, etc., can be placedproximate the channels 1008 to further facilitate proper wire routing,etc.

The exemplary header 1020 also comprises one or more strain reliefchannels 1006. These channels are utilized during manufacturingprocesses to provide extra relief to wires routed between the coils 1010and the pins 1022. The purpose of these channels 1006 and their use willbe discussed further subsequently herein at FIG. 11 and its accompanyingdisclosure.

Optional standoffs 1012 located at the bottom surface of the header 1020provide clearance for wires that are wrapped around pins 1022, whileallowing a wash area for cleaning underneath the header 1020 whendesired. In addition to the standoffs 1012 visible at the outer cornersof the header 1020, an optional locating post (not shown) could also belocated near the center of the header 1020 on the bottom side. Thislocating post can be used for the positioning of the header 1020 on aprinted circuit board such as that shown on FIG. 10 b.

Referring now to FIG. 10 b, a printed circuit board 1080 utilized inconjunction with a one or more (e.g., four (4) in the illustratedembodiment) headers 1020 is shown. The printed circuit board 1080 isshown in a bottom perspective orientation (i.e. the modular header pins1020 would be inserted from the non-visible side). The board 1080comprises a plurality of plated through-holes 1084 adapted to receivepins 1022 of header 1020. Each of these plated through-holes 1084 iselectrically connected to a respective BGA-type pad 1086 or bump,although these BGA pads 1086 could be obviated altogether in purely“through-hole” configurations of the type well known in the prior art.The printed circuit board 1080 also comprises a through hole locatorfeature 1088 which receives a respective post located on the header 1020to help position the header onto the printed circuit board 1080.

The printed circuit board 1080 can be utilized for the placement ofelectronic components (not shown) or may be simply utilized to routeelectrical connections. While currently contemplated as a two-layerprinted circuit board (i.e. having top and bottom layers), a multi-layer(e.g., three or more layer) printed circuit board could be utilized aswell to further add electrical connectivity at internal conductivelevels of the printed substrate 1080 or for forming electricalrelationships (e.g. capacitive) between other layers of the printedcircuit board 1080. The use of printed circuit boards is well understoodin the electronic arts, and as such will not be discussed furtherherein.

Referring now to FIGS. 10 c-10 d, an exemplary embodiment of aprotective cover 1040 and its use is described in detail. The cover 1040comprises a five-sided box with a top surface 1046 and four (4) sidesurfaces 1042. The top surface 1046 of FIG. 10 c is adapted to mate withthe top surface 1050 of the modular header(s) 1020 as shown in FIG. 10d. Also, while the cover 1040 is shown as having a substantiallyrectangular shape, other shapes are possible as will be recognized bythose of ordinary skill. The cover 1040 also optionally comprises aplurality of cantilever snaps 1044, which are adapted to engagecorresponding ledges 1048 present on the modular header(s) 1020. Whileshown with snaps 1044, other methods such as the use of adhesives, etc.could be used instead of or in addition to the snaps 1044 consistentwith the principles of the present invention.

The embodiment of FIG. 10 c comprises an injection moldable polymer thatis chosen based on its intended application. For example, if the outercase 1040 is to be utilized in a high temperature application such as asurface mounting reflow process, a high temperature polymer such as hightemperature LCP or PPS may be desirable. The selection of polymermaterials is well understood in the arts and as such will not bediscussed further herein.

The outer case 1040 can also be fully or partially covered with a metalnoise shield (not shown), whether integral therewith (such as via acoating or plating layer(s)), or discrete or separable therefrom, toimprove the EMI shielding of the device 1000. In some instances a metalshield may be desired to replace the outer case 1040 altogether, oralternatively to be placed on the inside surface of the outer case 1040.In one exemplary process, a conductive filler material is utilizedwithin the case plastic itself to provide EMI shielding protection.Alternatively, one could plate desired surfaces (i.e., through vacuummetallization or the like) to provide means to reduce the effects of EMIon the device or other devices operating in close proximity to thedevice 100.

Referring to FIG. 10 d, four (4) modular headers 1020 are shown mountedon a printed substrate 1080, with the cover 1040 removed. In a firstexemplary application, each modular header 1020 will comprise a singleport or channel in a telecommunications channel. Therefore, the use offour modular headers 1020 on a single substrate 1080 will mean that thedevice is a four (4) port or four (4) channel device. As previouslydiscussed, the modularity of the design has manufacturing advantages asmanufacturing defects can be detected earlier in the manufacturingprocess, such as e.g. via in process electrical testing or visualinspection, prior to being mounted on the printed substrate 1080.Ultimately this is more cost effective then final testing a four portdevice, as errors found at the four port device level require much morecomplex rework procedures and/or the scrapping of otherwise perfectlymanufactured channels.

However, while primarily discussed as a single port or channel permodular header, the invention is not so limited. For example, thetransmit side of a channel could be placed in one header 1020, and thereceive side of a channel in another header 1020. Alternatively, two ormore channels could be placed into a single modular header 1020. Such adesign would be particularly advantageous in designs incorporating ahigh number of channels such as e.g. eight (8), sixteen (16), etc.Myriad other embodiments and permutations/combinations of channels arepossible which consistent with the principles of the present invention.

The mating face of the device 1000 (i.e., that from which the pins 1022protrude) can also be shielded if desired, such as for example throughuse of the multi-layered metalized/non-conducting substrate shieldsdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,540 to Gutierrez, et al. issued Jul. 1,2003 entitled “Shielded microelectronic connector assembly and method ofmanufacturing”, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Internal shields (such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,540,)can also be utilized, such as between the modular headers 1020 toprevent harmful coupling effects between adjacent coils.

Furthermore, while it is primarily considered advantageous to engage theplurality of modular headers 1020 mounted on a printed substrate 1080with a respective outer case 1040, this outer case 1040 may not benecessary in all applications. For example, one alternate embodiment ofthe invention could use a plurality of header elements 1020 matedtogether (such as frictionally, via adhesive, etc.) without any externalcase or housing 1040. In another variant, plastic is molded directlyaround the header assembly to encapsulate the internal components, orencapsulated using silicone or a similar encapsulant or pottingcompound.

Referring now to FIG. 11, one exemplary embodiment of the method ofmanufacturing the header assembly of FIGS. 10-10 d is described indetail. As shown in FIG. 11, the first step 1102 comprises wrapping wireor another conductor around a magnetic toroid to form a wound toroidassembly 1010. It will be appreciated that while toroids are described,other electrical components can be substituted for, or used in additionto, the toroids.

Next in step 1104, one or more of these wound toroidal assemblies 1010are placed within the cavity 1004 of the header 1020. The coils 1010 areoptionally secured with an adhesive such as silicone, single stageepoxy, or the like.

Next in step 1106, a strain relief rod (not shown) is inserted into thestrain relief cavity 1006 of the header 1020; e.g., laterally across thewidth of the element 1020. The strain relief rod ideally has a smoothouter surface to prevent damage to the wires that will be subsequentlyrouted in close proximity to the rods. The function of the rod is tomitigate stresses on the wires of the electronic components (e.g.,toroids) during manufacturing, thereby reducing the chance of a wirebeing over-stressed and ultimately breaking.

Next in step 1108, wires from the wound coils 1010 are routed to theirrespective cavities 1008 and subsequently to their respective pins 1022.The wires are then wrapped around each terminal 1022 with two to threeturns minimum and excess wire trimmed.

Next in step 1110, the strain rods are removed from the strain reliefcavities 1006. The wires from the wound toroids 1010 will now not beunder any deleterious tension, and thus damage to the wires due tothermal expansion during IR reflow, etc. will be minimized or evencompletely eliminated.

Next in step 1112, the header assembly is solder dipped to terminate thewires from the toroids 1010 to the pins 1022. The solder bathadvantageously comprises an RoHS solder bath of the type previouslydescribed. While RoHS solder is exemplary, other solders which utilizelead (“Pb”), could also be utilized consistent with the principles ofthe present invention.

In step 1114, each header assembly is optionally cleaned to removecorrosive fluxes that may be present following the solder dippingoperation of step 1112 and the parts “in-process” tested (electricallyand/or mechanically) to ensure the resultant channel or port meets orexceeds predetermined specifications.

Either in parallel or serially with the preceding steps, steps 1116 and1118 are performed. In step 1116, any desired electronic components suchas the previously mentioned discrete passive or active electroniccomponents are placed onto the printed circuit board 1080.Advantageously, each of these electronic components can be placed usingstandard pick and place techniques and surface mount reflow soldered,although the present invention is in no such way limited.

In step 1118, the printed circuit boards 1080 which were presentlycombined onto a standard panel size are singulated from the panel intoindividual boards.

Next in step 1120, the header assemblies resultant from step 1114 areplaced on the singulated printed circuit boards 1080 from step 1118. Inthe exemplary embodiment, four headers are placed on the printed circuitboard 1080 to provide a four-channel device, although literally anynumber may be used.

In step 1122, the outer cover 1040 is snapped onto the header/printedcircuit board assembly of step 1120. The outer cover 1040 may thenoptionally be secured with an adhesive to further enhance bonding.

In step 1124, the entire device 1000 is placed onto a stencil fixtureand screen printed with a RoHS compliant or other type of solder paste.

In step 1126, the device is reflowed using standard SMT techniques andthe resultant device 1000 is cleaned to remove any harmful or corrosivechemicals left on the device 1000.

In step 1128, electrical testing is performed to ensure that the partmeets specifications as previously defined and then in step 1130, thedevice 1000 is inspected visually and mechanical dimensions are checked.

In step 1132, the device 1000 is packaged for shipment. In one exemplaryembodiment, the device is packaged in an industry standard tape and reelcarrier to facilitate automated handling by the end customer.Alternatively, the device 1000 can either be packaged in a tray, tube orbulk packaging for shipment to the end customer of the device 1000.

It will be recognized that while certain aspects of the exemplarymethods presented herein are described in terms of a specific sequenceof steps of a method, these descriptions are only illustrative of thebroader methods of the invention, and may be modified as required by theparticular application. Certain steps may be rendered unnecessary oroptional under certain circumstances. Additionally, certain steps orfunctionality may be added to the disclosed embodiments, or the order ofperformance of two or more steps permuted. All such variations areconsidered to be encompassed within the invention disclosed and claimedherein.

It will further be recognized that while described in terms oftelecommunications channels such as LAN and WAN channels or connections,the invention is in no way so limited. For example, literally any typeof network or circuits can be substituted in place of the LAN and WANdescribed herein, the LAN and WAN filtering application being merelyexemplary. For example, the device could be used in DSL applications(e.g., ADSL), wireless applications, and literally any other electronicor electrical application where signal conditioning is required.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointedout novel features of the invention as applied to various embodiments,it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changesin the form and details of the device or process illustrated may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Theforegoing description is of the best mode presently contemplated ofcarrying out the invention. This description is in no way meant to belimiting, but rather should be taken as illustrative of the generalprinciples of the invention. The scope of the invention should bedetermined with reference to the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A modular electronic apparatus for mounting onto an external substrate, comprising: a printed circuit board comprising a first layer comprised of a plurality of surface mountable conductive interfaces; a plurality of substantially identical modular headers, each of said modular headers comprising: a non-conductive base member having an electronic component receiving cavity formed therein; a plurality of surface-mountable signal conducting elements disposed at least partially within said non-conductive base member on a bottom surface thereof; and a cover at least partially enclosing said plurality of modular headers; and a plurality of electronic components at least partially disposed within said electronic component receiving cavities of said modular headers, at least one of said plurality of electronic components comprising a wire having two ends, said ends of said wire being wire wrapped around respective ones of at least a portion of said surface-mountable signal conducting elements; wherein at least a portion of said plurality of surface-mountable signal conducting elements are soldered to said first layer of said printed circuit board.
 2. The modular apparatus of claim 1, where said plurality of modular headers are disposed adjacent to one another.
 3. The modular apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least three of said plurality of modular headers are disposed such that a cavity of said at least three of said plurality of modular headers is disposed such that it faces an adjacent one of said modular headers.
 4. The modular apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of said plurality of electronic components comprises a toroidal coil, said toroidal coil being disposed within its respective electronic component receiving cavity.
 5. The modular apparatus of claim 4, wherein said wire having two ends is routed so as to prevent damage to said wire from an adjacently mounted component.
 6. The modular apparatus of claim 4, wherein each of said modular headers comprises a single channel in a telecommunications circuit.
 7. The modular apparatus of claim 4, where a number of said modular headers is four (4) and a number of said surface-mountable signal conducting elements is ninety-six (96).
 8. The modular apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover is secured to at least one of said plurality of modular headers by way of an adhesive.
 9. The modular apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of surface mountable conductive interfaces is electrically coupled to a respective one of a plurality of ball-grid array conductive interfaces.
 10. A method of manufacturing a modular electronic apparatus, the method comprising: inserting a plurality of electronic components at least partially within each of a plurality of electronic component receiving cavities of a plurality of modular header assemblies; routing a plurality of wires associated with said plurality of electronic components onto respective ones of surface-mountable signal conducting elements; wire wrapping said wires to respective ones of said surface-mountable signal conducting elements; soldering said wires to respective ones of said surface-mountable signal conducting elements; mounting each of said modular header assemblies onto a multi-layer printed circuit board; securing said modular header assemblies to said multi-layer printed circuit board using a soldering process; placing said cover over at least a portion of said modular header assemblies; and forming a plurality of ball-grid array conductive interfaces on a second layer of said multi-layer printed circuit board.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: testing each of said plurality of modular header assemblies prior to said act of mounting each of said modular header assemblies; and selectively discarding or reworking at least one of said modular header assemblies for failing said testing.
 12. The method of claim 10, where said act of soldering said wires to respective ones of said surface-mountable signal conducting elements is performed using a mass termination method.
 13. A modular electronic apparatus for mounting onto an external substrate, comprising: a printed circuit board comprising two interface surfaces, a first of said interface surfaces configured for interfacing with a plurality of modular headers, and a second interface surface configured for interfacing with said external substrate; a plurality of modular headers, each of said modular headers comprising: a base element comprised of a bottom surface that substantially opposes said first interface surface and further comprising at least one cavity formed therein; a plurality of signal conducting elements disposed at least partially within said base element and on a bottom surface thereof; and a cover at least partially enclosing said plurality of modular headers; and a plurality of electronic components at least partially disposed within each of said at least one cavities of said modular headers, each of said electronic components comprising wire ends, said ends of said wire being wire wrapped around respective ones of at least a portion of said signal conducting elements; wherein at least a portion of said plurality of signal conducting elements are electrically coupled with said first interface surface of said printed circuit board.
 14. The modular apparatus of claim 13, wherein said plurality of signal conducting elements comprise surface mountable signal conducting elements.
 15. The modular apparatus of claim 14, wherein said second interface surface comprises a plurality of ball grid array (BGA) style contacts.
 16. The modular apparatus of claim 13, where said plurality of modular headers are disposed adjacent to one another.
 17. The modular apparatus of claim 13, wherein said plurality of electronic components comprises a toroidal coil.
 18. The modular apparatus of claim 17, wherein said first interface surface is electrically coupled with said second interface surface of said printed circuit board.
 19. The modular apparatus of claim 18, wherein said plurality of signal conducting elements are arranged in a row and column fashion comprised of at least three rows and at least three columns.
 20. The modular apparatus of claim 19, wherein the wire wrapped portion of said wire is disposed between said bottom surface and said first interface surface. 